First of all, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Chancellor Scholz for the warm welcome extended to me and my delegation. I am happy that my first foreign trip of the year is taking place in Germany. My first telephone conversation with a foreign leader earlier this year was also with my friend, Chancellor Scholz. For Chancellor Scholz, today's India-Germany IGC is the first IGC with any country this year.These many firsts show how much priority both India and Germany are giving to this important partnership. As democracies, India and Germany share many common values. On the basis of these shared values and shared interests, there has been remarkable progress in our bilateral relations over the years.
Our last IGC was held in 2019.Significant changes have taken place in the world since then. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global economy. Recent geopolitical events also showed how fragile world peace and stability is, and how inter-connected all countries are.From the very beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, we called for an immediate cease-fire, insisting that dialogue is the only way to resolve the dispute. We believe that there will be no winning party in this war, everyone will suffer. That is why we are in favour of peace.Oil prices are skyrocketing due to the turmoil triggered by the Ukraine conflict; there is also shortage of food grains and fertilizers in the world. This has burdened every family in the world, but its impact on developing and poor countries will be even more serious. India is deeply concerned by the humanitarian impact of this conflict. We have sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine on our behalf. We are also trying to help other friendly countries through food exports, oil supplies and economic assistance.
Today, the India-Germany partnership has got a new direction from its sixth IGC. This IGC has given important guidance to our cooperation in both energy and environment sectors. I am confident that the decisions taken today will have a positive impact on the future of our region and the world. Today, we are pursuing the Indo-Germany Partnership on Green and Sustainable Development.India has shown to the world that green and sustainable growth is an article of faith for us by raising its climate ambition in Glasgow. Under this new partnership, Germany has decided to support India's green growth plans with an additional development assistance of 10 billion euros by 2030. For this I thank Germany and Chancellor Scholz.
Considering our complementary strengths, we have also decided to create a Green Hydrogen Task Force. This will be very useful in enhancing the green hydrogen infrastructure in both the countries. Both India and Germany have long experience in development cooperation in other countries. Today, we have decided to combine our experiences and work on joint projects in third countries through trilateral cooperation. Our cooperation will provide an alternative to transparent and sustainable development projects for the developing world.
Friends,
In the post-COVID era, India is witnessing the fastest growth compared to other growing economies. We are confident that India will be an important pillar of global recovery. Recently, we signed trade agreements with the UAE and Australia in a very short time. We, even with the EU, are committed to early progress in the FTA negotiations. India's skilled workers and professionals have benefited the economies of many countries. I am confident that the Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and Germany will facilitate movement between the two countries.
I once again thank you very much for this summit and your initiative.
PM flags off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express connecting Guwahati to New Jalpaiguri
May 29, 2023
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Dedicates newly electrified sections and newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed
“First Vande Bharat Express of Northeast will boost tourism and enhance connectivity”
“The last 9 years have been of unprecedented achievements for building a New India”
“Our government has prioritized the welfare of the poor”
“Infrastructure is for everyone and it does not discriminate, Infrastructure development is true social justice and true secularism”
“The biggest beneficiaries of the infrastructure push have been the states of Eastern and Northeastern India”
“Indian Railway has become a medium of connecting hearts, societies and opportunities to the people along with speed”
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express via video conferencing today. The Vande Bharat Express will connect Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri Guwahati and the journey will take 5 hrs 30 mins. The Prime Minister also dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections and inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today is a huge day for the connectivity of the Northeast as three development works are being accomplished together. Firstly, the Prime Minister elaborated, Northeast is getting its first Vande Bharat Express today where this is the third Vande Bharat Express which connects West Bengal. Secondly, approximately 425 kilometers of railway tracks in Assam and Meghalaya have been electrified. And, thirdly, a new DEMU/MEMU shed has been inaugurated in Lumding in Assam. The Prime Minister congratulated the citizens of the entire Northeast along with Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal on this momentous occasion.
The Prime Minister said that the Guwahati -New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat train will strengthen the centuries-old ties between Assam and West Bengal. This will increase ease of travel and provide huge benefits to students and will increase job opportunities arising out of tourism and business. He said that this Vande Bharat will provide connectivity to Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga, Manas National Park, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Furthermore, the Prime Minister pointed out that it will enhance travel and tourism in Shillong, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya and Tawang and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
Throwing light on the 9 years of the NDA government in power, the Prime Minister remarked that the nation has witnessed numerous accomplishments and unprecedented development towards a new India in these years. He highlighted the newly inaugurated magnificent Parliament House of independent India and said that it will connect the thousand-year-old democratic history of India with its prosperous democracy of the future. Referring to past governments, the Prime Minister pointed out that the scams of before 2014 had broken all records where the maximum impact was felt by the poor and the states which lagged behind in development. “Our government has prioritized the welfare of the poor”, the Prime Minister remarked as he gave examples of houses, toilets, tapped water connections, electricity, gas pipelines, the development of AIIMS, infrastructure boost to roads, railways, airways, airways, waterways, ports and mobile connectivity. He underlined that the government has worked at full strength to achieve these goals. Noting that infrastructure makes people’s lives easier, creates employment opportunities and becomes a basis for development, the Prime Minister mentioned that the infrastructure development pace in India is being discussed all over the globe. This infrastructure, the Prime Minister said, strengthens and empowers the poor, backward, dalits, adivasis and other deprived sections of the society. “Infrastructure is for everyone and it does not discriminate”, the Prime Minister said as he underlined that this form of development is the pure form of social justice and secularism.
The Prime Minister said that the biggest beneficiaries of the infrastructure push have been the states of Eastern and Northeastern India. He said that earlier, the people of the Northeast remained deprived of even the basic facilities for decades. He said that a large number of villages and families which did not have electricity, telephone or good rail road air connectivity until 9 years ago were from the Northeast.
The Prime Minister presented rail connectivity in the region as an example of work with a service spirit. The rail connectivity in the northeast is proof of the government’s speed, scale and intention, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister said that even in colonial times Assam, Tripura and Bengal were connected with railways, even though, with an intention to loot the natural resources of the region. However, even after Independence, the expansion of railways in the region was ignored and finally fell on the current government after 2014.
Shri Modi said that he has given the highest priority to Northeast people's sensitivities and facilities. This change has been widely felt, he added. He informed that before 2014, the average railways budget for the Northeast was about 2500 crore rupees which has grown to more than 10 thousand crores this year, a four-fold increase. Now capitals of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim are being connected to the rest of the country, “Very soon all capital cities of the Northeast are going to be connected with a broad gauge network”, he said, “One lakh crore rupees are being spent on these projects.”
“The scale and speed of the development works of the government has been unprecedented”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that new rail lines are being laid in the Northeast at three times the pace than before and the doubling of rail lines is taking place 9 times faster than before. The Prime Minister mentioned that the work for doubling of rail lines began in the last 9 years and the government is working towards saturation at a very fast pace.
The Prime Minister credited the pace of development which led to many remote areas of the Northeast being connected with railways. He informed that Nagaland got its second railway station after almost 100 years. Now, the Prime Minister said, Vande Bharat Semi High-speed trains and Tejas Express are running on the same path where once stood a narrow gauge line capable of low speeds. He also mentioned the Vista Dome coaches of the Indian Railways which have become a center of attraction for tourists.
“Indian Railway has become a medium of connecting hearts, societies and opportunities to the people along with speed”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted the first transgender tea stall at Guwahati Railway Station. He stated that it is an attempt to give a life of respect to those who expect better behaviour from society. Under the 'One Station, One Product' scheme, the Prime Minister highlighted that stalls have been set up at railway stations in the Northeast which give emphasis to Vocal for Local thereby providing a new market for local artisans, artists, and craftsmen. He also gave the example of Wi-Fi facilities provided at hundreds of stations in the Northeast. “It is only with this combination of sensitivity and speed that Northeast will move forward on the path of progress and pave the way towards a developed India.
Background
The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will provide the people of the region with the means to travel with speed and comfort. It will also boost tourism in the region. Connecting Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri, the train will help save about an hour of journey time, when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places. Vande Bharat will cover the journey in 5 hrs 30 mins, while the current fastest train takes 6 hrs 30 mins to cover the same journey.
The Prime Minister dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections. This will help provide pollution-free transportation with trains running at higher speeds and reduced running time of trains. It will also open the doors for trains running on electric traction to enter Meghalaya.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam. This new facility will be helpful for maintaining DEMU rakes operating in this region, leading to better operational feasibility.
