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PM Narendra Modi interacts with Indian Community in Brussels
PM Modi expresses grave concern over terrorism
Terrorism not a challenge to any nation but it is a challenge to humanity: PM Modi
Entire world must unite to combat terrorism: PM Modi in Brussels
We need to delink terrorism & religion. No religion teaches terrorism: PM
In a time when the world economy is not doing so well, it is generally agreed that India is a ray of hope: PM
Our decision to have 5% ethanol in petrol led to record production of ethanol in 2015 leading to better income for farmers: PM
Our campaign on gas subsidy led to 9 million people surrendering their subsidy, helping millions of poor families: PM

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today (March 30, 2016) addressed the Indian Community in Brussels. He described the Indian Community as the “Lokdoot” of India.

The Prime Minister recalled the horrendous terror attack in Brussels last week, and offered condolences to the families of the victims. He described terrorism as a challenge to humanity. He said the need of the hour is for all humanitarian forces to join hands to fight it.

The Prime Minister said that despite the huge threat, the world is not able to deliver a proportionate response to terror – and terms such as “good terrorism” and “bad terrorism” end up strengthening it. Shri Narendra Modi described how India has faced this scourge for forty years, which many described as a mere law and order problem for a long time, until 9/11 happened. He declared that India would not bow to terror. Shri Narendra Modi said he has spoken to many world leaders and emphasized the need to delink religion from terror. He recalled the Global Sufi Conference in New Delhi recently, where liberal Islamic scholars had denounced terrorism. He said this approach was essential to stop radicalization. The right atmosphere had to be created to end terror, he added.

The Prime Minister regretted that the United Nations had not been able to come up with a structured response to terrorism. He said the UN has not been able to fulfill its responsibility in this regard, and had not come up with a suitable resolution. He warned that institutions which do not evolve appropriate responses to emerging situations, risked irrelevance.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that the whole world which is passing through an economic crisis, had recognized India as a ray of hope. He said India has become the fastest growing large economy in the world, and this is not because of good fortune. He said this has happened despite two successive drought years. He said that this is the result of good intentions and sound policies. Talking about 2015, the Prime Minister said he wished to give an account of the work done by the Government. He mentioned ethanol blending of petrol, and ending urea shortages through enhanced production, and neem coating.

He said poor had been provided LPG connections in large numbers. He said this was largely due to the give-it-up campaign for the well-off to surrender their LPG subsidy, and 90 lakh people had done so. He also mentioned Union Budget commitments in this regard.

He said that maximum production of power and coal also happened in 2015. He said that investment in Railways has been enhanced substantially, because he believes that the Railways can be the spine of the Indian economy. He said car production and software exports had also reached maximum numbers in 2015.

He said 21 crore new bank accounts have been opened, as part of the financial inclusion drive. The Prime Minister explained how the concept of “Jandhan Aadhar Mobile” (JAM) had helped reduce corruption and leakages in LPG subsidy. He said over 18,000 villages had remained unelectrified after nearly seven decades of Independence, and he had promised to have them electrified within 1000 days. He expressed satisfaction that over 7000 such villages had been electrified till now. He also mentioned pick up in the pace of road construction. He said the whole world was surprised when he had declared a target of 175 GigaWatts of renewable energy, but the country was now on track to achieve it. He said the commitment to deliver One Rank, One Pension for the Armed Forces had also been fulfilled.

The Prime Minister said the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh was an example of how contentious issues could be resolved peacefully. He mentioned the Narendra Modi App, and suggestions he had received on India-Belgium relations.

The Prime Minister also mentioned recent decisions taken for the benefit of NRIs

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आज का भारत एक आकांक्षी समाज है: स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर पीएम मोदी

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आज का भारत एक आकांक्षी समाज है: स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर पीएम मोदी
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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.