The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth about Rs 7,000 crore in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. The projects include the Mehsana - Bhatinda - Gurdaspur Gas Pipeline, the LPG Plant of HPCL at Abu Road, additional storage at the Ajmer Bottling Plant, IOCL, Railway and Road projects, tourism facilities at Nathdwara and the permanent campus of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kota.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remembered the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri. He highlighted the cleanliness campaign that took place yesterday on 1st October around the country and thanked citizens for making it into a mass movement.
Highlighting the principles of Mahatma Gandhi towards cleanliness, self-reliance and competitive development, the Prime Minister said that the nation has worked towards the expansion of these principles laid down by him in the last 9 years and highlighted its reflection in the development projects of today worth more than Rs 7000 crores.
The Prime Minister said that in order to strengthen the gas-based economy, an unprecedented campaign to lay gas pipelines throughout the country is going on. Pali-Hanumangarh section of Mehsana - Bhatinda - Gurdaspur Gas was dedicated today that will push industry and employment in Rajasthan. This will also give a push to the campaign to provide piped gas in the kitchens, he said.
The Prime Minister also touched upon the railway and road related projects of today and emphasized that they will make the lives of the people of Mewar easier. He said that it would create new employment opportunities. With the development of the IIIT Campus, the Prime Minister noted, Kota’s identity as an education hub will be strengthened.
Prime Minister Modi said, Rajasthan is a state that has a legacy of the past, the strength of the present and possibilities of the future. Referring to Nathdwara tourist and cultural center, the Prime Minister said this is part of the tourist circuit comprising Jaipur’s Govind Dev Ji temple, Khatu Shyam Mandir of Sikar and Nathdwara in Rajsamand. This will enhance the glory of Rajasthan and benefit the tourism industry.
“The Sawariya Seth Temple near Chittorgarh which is dedicated to Lord Krishna is a center for spirituality”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that lakhs of pilgrims turn up every year to worship Sawariya Seth. Highlighting its significance among the business owners' community, the Prime Minister informed that modern facilities have been added to the temple under the Swadesh Darshan scheme and gave examples of a water-laser show, a tourist facility center, an amphitheater and a cafeteria. He expressed confidence that these developments would add more convenience for the pilgrims.
The Prime Minister emphasized that “the development of Rajasthan is a huge priority for the Government of India. We have focused a lot on modern infrastructure like expressways, highways and railways in Rajasthan. Be it Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, or Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway, these are going to give new strength to the logistics sector in Rajasthan.” He also mentioned the Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat train that was flagged off recently. Rajasthan is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Bharatmala project, he added.
“The history of Rajasthan teaches us that we should move forward with bravery, glory and development”, the Prime Minister underlined. He continued “Today's India is also doing the same. With everyone's efforts, we are engaged in building a developed India. The areas and classes which were deprived and backward in the past, today their development is the priority of the country.” Referring to the Aspirational District Program that has been running successfully in the country for the last 5 years, the Prime Minister informed that many districts of Mewar and Rajasthan are also being developed under this campaign. He informed that going a step further, the central government is now focusing on identifying aspiring blocks and their rapid development. In the coming time, many blocks of Rajasthan will also be developed under this campaign, he said.
In order to give priority to the underprivileged, the Prime Minister informed that the Central Government has also started the Vibrant Village Programme. “The border villages which were considered the last, we are now developing them by considering them as the first villages. Dozens of border villages of Rajasthan are sure to benefit greatly from this”, Shri Modi said.
Background
In yet another step to promote a gas-based economy, the Mehsana - Bhatinda - Gurdaspur Gas Pipeline was dedicated by the Prime Minister. The pipeline has been built at a cost of about Rs. 4500 crores. The Prime Minister also dedicated the LPG Plant of HPCL at Abu Road. This plant will bottle and distribute 86 lakh cylinders per annum and will also result in a net reduction in the running of trucks carrying cylinders per annum by around 0.75 million Km, which will help reduce about 0.5 million tons of CO2 emission per annum. He also dedicated additional storage at Ajmer Bottling Plant, IOCL.
The Prime Minister dedicated a 4-lane road on NH-12 (New NH-52) on the Darah-Jhalawar-Teendhar section, which has been constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1480 crores. This project will help ease the transportation of the produce of mines from Kota and Jhalawar districts. Further, the foundation stone for constructing and widening the Railway Over Bridge (ROB) from two-lane to four-lane in Sawai Madhopur will also be laid. This project will help provide relief from the problem of traffic jams.
The railway projects dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister include the projects involving the doubling of the Chittorgarh - Neemuch Railway line and Kota – Chittorgarh Electrified Railway line. These projects have been completed at a cost of more than Rs 650 crores and will strengthen rail infrastructure in the region. They will also boost tourism to historic sites in Rajasthan.
The Prime Minister dedicated tourism facilities developed at Nathdwara under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. Nathdwara is the major center of faith for millions of followers of the Pushtimarg propagated by Saint Vallabhacharya. A modern 'tourist interpretation and cultural center' has been developed at Nathdwara, where tourists can experience various facets of the life of Shrinathji. Further, the Prime Minister also dedicated the permanent campus of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kota to the nation.
