By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD/BHUBANESWAR: The projects include laying the foundation stone of AIIMS Bibinagar, Hyderabad, five National Highway projects and the redevelopment of Secunderabad Railway Station. He also dedicated other development projects related to railways. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also flagged off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express at Secunderabad Railway Station in Hyderabad.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various projects worth over Rs. 11,300 crores at Parade Ground in Hyderabad, Telangana on Saturday. Governor of Telangana, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Tourism, Shri G Kishan Reddy, Member of Parliament from Malkajgiri, Shri A Revanth Reddy and Ministers from Government of Telangana were present on the occasion among others.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to extend the pace of development of the state of Telangana. He also recalled flagging off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express which will connect the IT City of Hyderabad with the abode of Lord Venkateswara, Tirupati at Secunderabad Railway Station earlier in the day. “The Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express will successfully connect belief, modernity, technology and tourism”, Shri Modi said. The Prime Minister congratulated the citizens of Telangana for today’s projects worth over Rs. 11,300 crores related to railways and road connectivity and health infrastructure development.
The Prime Minister noted that the state of Telangana has been in existence for almost the same time as the present government at the center and bowed his head to those who contributed towards the formation of the state. “It is the duty of the government at the center to realize the dreams of citizens of the state related to the development of Telangana”, Shri Modi said highlighting the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’. He said that special emphasis has been given so that Telangana can make the most out of India’s development model laid out in the past nine years. Giving examples of development in the cities, the Prime Minister mentioned the 70 km of metro network laid out in the last nine years and the progress made in the development of the Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS). Highlighting the initiation of 13 MMTS services today, the Prime Minister informed that Rs 600 crores have been allocated for Telangana for its expansion in the state which will benefit lakhs of citizens in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and nearing districts while also giving rise to new business hubs and investment.
Noting the unpredictability of economies of the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war between two countries, the Prime Minister highlighted that India is one of the few countries that have made record investments towards modern infrastructure. He informed that Rs 10 lakh crores have been earmarked for the development of modern infrastructure in India in this year’s Budget. He pointed out that in the last nine years, the railway budget of Telangana has increased seventeen times and the work of laying new rail lines, rail line doubling and electrification among others have taken place in record time. “The electrification of Secunderabad–Mahabubnagar project is a prime example of this”, he said as he noted that it will improve the connectivity between Hyderabad and Bangalore. The Prime Minister emphasized that the redevelopment of Secunderabad Railway Station is part of the campaign for the modernizing of prime railway stations in the country.
Along with railways, the Prime Minister said, the highway network of Telangana is also being developed at a fast pace and mentioned the four highway projects whose foundation stone has been laid today. Mentioning the Akkalkot-Kurnool section of the highway being built at the cost of Rs 2300 crores, the Mahabubnagar-Chincholi section at the cost of Rs 1300 crores, the Kalwakurthy-Kollapur section at the cost of Rs 900 crores, and the Khammam-Devarapalle section at the cost of Rs 2700 crores, the Prime Minister emphasized that the central government is leading the development of modern highways in Telangana with full force. Shri Modi informed that the length of National Highways in Telangana has doubled from 2500 kilometers from the time of the formation of the state in 2014 to more than 5000 kilometers today where Rs 35,000 crores have been spent by the central government. He further added that work on road projects worth Rs 60,000 crores are underway in Telangana which includes the game-changing Hyderabad Ring Road.
“The central government is emphasizing the development of both industry and agriculture in Telangana”, Shri Modi said. Noting that textile is one such industry that gives strength to both the farmer and the laborer, the Prime Minister informed that the government has decided to set up 7 mega textile parks across the country and Telangana will be home to one of them. He further added that it will create new employment opportunities for the youth. Referring to laying the foundation stone of AIIMS Bibinagar today, the Prime Minister said that the government is also investing in education and health in Telangana. “Today’s projects will increase Ease of Travel, Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business in Telangana”, he added. However, the Prime Minister lamented the delay in the completion of several central projects due to the lack of cooperation from the state government. Pointing out that it is the people of Telangana who are at a loss, Shri Modi urged the state government not to allow any hindrance in the works related to the development and also speed up the pace.
Highlighting the priority of our government to fulfill the hopes, aspirations and dreams of the countrymen, the Prime Minister interjected that a handful of people are very agitated by the progress of development. He stressed that those who have been nurturing nepotism and corruption have nothing to do with the interest of the country and the welfare of society while also creating problems for those who do honest work. The Prime Minister warned the people of Telangana and said that they only look for the interest of their family in every project and investment.
Noting the similarities between corruption and nepotism, the Prime Minister reiterated that corruption starts to flourish when there is nepotism. “Control is the main mantra of familyism and dynastic politics”, the Prime Minister said. Furthering his criticism of such principles, the Prime Minister said that dynasts want to keep their control over every system and hate it when someone challenges their control. Giving the example of the Direct Benefit Transfer system and the promotion of digital payment across the country, the Prime Minister pointed fingers at the dynastic forces that kept control of which beneficiary would get what benefit and elaborated on the three meanings that emerge from this situation. Firstly, the Prime Minister said, the family should continue to be praised, secondly, the money of corruption should keep coming to the family, and thirdly, the money that is sent to the poor should continue to be received by the corrupt ecosystem. “Today Modi has attacked this real root of corruption. That’s why these people are shaken and anything that is being done is out of anger”, Shri Modi said referring to the political parties who moved to court as a protest but were dealt with a shock.
“The true spirit of the Constitution is realized when work is done with the spirit of Sabka Vikas (everyone’s development) strengthening democracy in the true sense. The Prime Minister reiterated that the entire country is watching the result of the central government being freed from the shackles of dynastic politics in 2014. He informed that in the last 9 years, 11 crore mothers, sisters and daughters of the country have got the facility of toilets which included more than 30 lakh families from Telangana. He further added that more than 9 crore sisters and daughters in the country have got free Ujjwala gas connections which included more than 11 lakh poor families of Telangana in the last 9 years.
He informed that today 80 crore poor people are being provided free ration in our government, free treatment up to Rs.5 lakh for the poor, Jan Dhan bank accounts of 1 crore families of Telangana have been opened for the first time, two and a half lakh small entrepreneurs of Telangana have got Mudra loan without guarantee, 5 lakh street-vendors have got bank loans for the first time, and more than 40 lakh small farmers of Telangana got about 9 thousand crore rupees under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.
The Prime Minister said, “True social justice is born when the country moves away from ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement) towards ‘Santushtikaran’ (satisfaction of all)”. He remarked that the entire country including Telangana wants to walk on the path of Santushtikaran and contribute towards development with Sabka Prayas. “Rapid development of Telangana is very important for building a developed India in the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal”, the Prime Minister concluded highlighting the importance of the next 25 years in the development journey of Telangana.
