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Shri Narendra Modi’s Speech On the Occasion of Inauguration Ceremony of ‘Kankaria Carnival’

Published By : Admin | December 25, 2011 | 15:43 IST

Ahmedabad

Date : 25th December, 2011

Today is Atalji’s birthday. For last many consecutive years, we organize this ‘Kankaria Carnival’ from 25th December to 31st December. Through this one programme, we are able to express our love for this city and can see the changes that are taking place in the city life. Whenever there were discussions on the cities of our country, they spinning around Delhi, Kolkata, Madras, Bangalore, Mumbai… Ahmedabad was not in the list of first ten. Today Ahmedabad has secured number one position in the whole country. I congratulate the citizens of this city, I congratulate the officers of the Corporation for enhancing the glory, fame and prestige of the same day after day.

 This ‘Kankaria Carnival’… Poor children of this city, children living in slums, studying in Municipal Primary Schools… they have the same capability as we have. The God has given them the same strength as what we have. But, they never got a chance to show their talent. Whether it’s ‘Patangotsav’ or ‘Kankaria Carnival’, we have always given opportunities to these children of poor families. When they show their creativity, express their ability in front of the enlightened citizens of this city, the exposure that they get, the confidence level which is built up from it at that time, adds up in the strength of this city and for that endless efforts are made by this city.

 Today this city has received many new rewards, they have been initiated. Whether it’s about swimming pool for children or very old Balwantrai Hall or a Butterfly Park that kids would like very much… Today another new thing is added to Ahmedabad city. The murals on the rock depicting the map of this city, its social-cultural journey of progress, pages of its development, memories of the prominent people of this city… in the same way, Gujarat, its development journey, great people who contributed in the economical, social, educational, cultural and in all other fields, important incidences of the State… all of these are being sculptured on the inner side of the boundary wall of Kankaria lake. Friends, No one would have ever imagined that the wall of Kankaria lake could be used in such a wonderful way. Today only a small portion has been formed, but once the murals get completed around entire Kankaria, at that time its length would be about 30,000 feet. At present, the longest sand stone mural, which is considered to be the largest in the world, is of 9000 feet. This will be of 30,000 feet. This will be the biggest world record credited to Ahmedabad. Those who want to know the history, who want to understand the ups and downs of Gujarat, want to go through the memorable incidences of Gujarat, for them these sculpted open encyclopedia, will become a means of knowledge. It is my request to the citizens of this city, to those who are historians, connected with literature, associated with arts and culture, those who are analysts, critics… they spare some time in next two three months and view our novel idea from the analytical view point and point out flaws in the mural or suggest whether it needs anything to be added… and I request such experts to come and spare their valuable couple of hours for the future of this city, for the future of children. I am giving an open invitation to all. View it minutely, give us suggestions, so that we can include it in the remaining work in the area of 30,000 feet. To make it more presentable, I am interested in public participation. So as to descend your knowledge and experience on the rocks, this city, this state is asking for your help. We are doing one of the best kinds of work. In future, a boat ride along with audio commentary would provide a crash course on heritage of the city and the state by studying the huge murals on the wall. The pedestrians can also study the tablets kept over there and those who wish to watch along with audio commentary, may prevail the benefit of it also. Those who visit Kankaria now, can experience such a nice use of it.

Friends, after the renovation of Kankaria, nearly 90 or more delegations from the world, from foreign countries, visited here and have studied the renovated Kankaria. Intellectual citizens, well-to-do citizens of this city, who seldom gave a passing glance towards Kankaria. Now they are seen visiting Kankaria in Rolls-Royce Cars along with their guests. A reputation of Kankaria has been established. Even the richest and the wealthiest people feel inferior if they have not seen Kankaria, now they feel proud to visit Kankaria.

The citizens of this city have preserved this Kankaria. Otherwise, mismanagement, littering, dirtiness, damaging… this is very common in our country, but hats-off to the citizens of Ahmedabad, to all the citizens of the State and to all the national and international tourists, who have visited Kankaria. I want to congratulate as crores of people visited here but not even a minor problem is ever created, not even a single leaf of any tree is plucked, this is a great deed, Friends..! We have preserved it and it is such a deed that we can introduce our this strength to the world. Cleanliness is maintained, waste has not been thrown anywhere and if any visitor shows even a small waste, he himself gets up and throws it in the dustbin. Kankaria has given a new culture to this city. I am confident that Kankaria will become an inspiration to establish such high standards in the whole city.

Friends, our ‘Kids City’… Many people are coming here to study it. To develop the inner strength among the kids, to awake their dreams, rather to sow the dreams, there may not be any other better source than this. Whenever a tiny tot goes to ‘Kids City’ and in the evening when he comes out, he is overwhelmed and a new dream is planted into his mind, a wish to become someone arises in his mind. Since he himself becomes a part of the experiment, he carries confidence that yes, today I can do this, when I grow up, I can become this also. A place of seeding such dreams… I want all the kids to get an opportunity to plant a dream here at ‘Kids City’. It is my invitation to all kids and their parents of Gujarat. This is for you, for our kids. To make tomorrow of Gujarat prosperous, to playfully imbibe this cultural heritage, as if Kankaria has become a new capital, a new source of inspiration, and we all must take the advantage of the same.

Ladies & Gentlemen, about 1.50 crore people visit here and this does not include those 25-30 lakhs people visit during ‘Kankaria Carnival’, because we don’t have any ticket system during that time. But those people who purchased regular tickets and enterd Kankaria from the gate, that figure comes out to be 1.50 crores. You just think, how great need it was for the poor and middle class people of this State, we have fulfilled this need. Because if a common man wants to go for outing with his family, where shall he go? Where would he find an open space? And today he has found it. In the past, ‘Bal Vatika’ and Zoo were just in the neglected condition. Because of the renovation of this Kankaria, they also have become a new centre of attraction for the people. New suggestions and schemes are coming forward for their development and extension as well.

 Ladies & Gentlemen, let us take the full fledged advantage of this. Let us preserve this city, the way this Kankaria is preserved. As Kankaria has come up with a new identity of city‘s fame, glory and prestige, I am inaugurating today’s Carnival. On Atalji’s birthday, the State is ever ready to accept the message of his ‘Good Governance’ and is determined and trying to move forward in that direction and trying for the same.

Best wishes to all of you..!!

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Namaskar!

The campaign to provide government jobs to lakhs of youngsters in the country is continuing. Today, more than 50 thousand youngsters have been given appointment letters for government jobs. Receiving these appointment letters is the result of your hard work and talent. I congratulate you and your family from the bottom of my heart.

Now you are going to join that stream of nation building, which is directly related to the people. As employees of the Government of India, you all have to fulfil major responsibilities. Whatever position you hold, whatever field you work in, your top priority should be to ensure ease of living for the countrymen.

Friends,

Just a few days ago, on 26th November, the country celebrated Constitution Day. On this day in 1949 the country adopted the Constitution giving equal rights to all citizens. Baba Saheb, the chief architect of the Constitution, had dreamed of a Bharat where social justice would be established by giving equal opportunities to all. Unfortunately, after independence, the principle of equality was ignored in the country for a long time.

Before 2014, a large section of the society was deprived of basic amenities. In 2014, when the nation gave us the opportunity to serve and entrusted us with the responsibility to run the government, first of all, we started moving forward with the mantra of giving priority to the underprivileged. The government itself reached out to those people who never got the benefits of various schemes, or any facilities from the government for decades. We have been trying to change the lives of such people.

Due to this change in thinking and work culture of the government, unprecedented results are being seen in the country today. The bureaucracy is the same; the people are the same; the files are the same; the people working are the same; the method is also the same. But when the government started giving priority to the poor and the middle class of the country, the whole situation started changing. At a very rapid pace one after the other, the working style started changing; the work method started changing; responsibilities were being assigned and positive results started emerging in terms of the welfare of the common people.

According to a study, more than 13 crore people of the country have come out of poverty in 5 years. This shows how much of a difference it makes when the government's schemes reach the poor. This morning itself you must have seen how the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is reaching every village. Like you, government employees are taking government schemes to the doorsteps of the poor. After joining the government service, you too have to devote yourself to the service of the people with the same intentions, with good intentions, with the same dedication and devotion.

Friends,

In today's changing Bharat, you all are also witnessing an infrastructure revolution. Be it modern expressways, modern railway stations, airports, water ways, today the country is spending lakhs of crores of rupees on these sectors. And when the government is spending money and investing on infrastructure on such a grand scale, it is quite natural and no one can deny that it is also creating lakhs of new employment opportunities.

Another crucial change that has taken place since 2014 is that projects that were in limbo for years are being identified and completed on mission mode. Half-baked projects not only cause wastage of money of the honest tax payers of the country, but also increase the cost of the projects; and at the same time people are deprived of the benefits that they should have got from the project. This is also a huge injustice to our tax payers.

Over the years, the Central Government has reviewed and continuously monitored projects worth lakhs of crores of rupees to complete them expeditiously and has achieved success. This has also created many new employment opportunities in every corner of the country. For example, Bidar-Kalaburagi railway line was one such project, which was started 22-23 years ago. But this project was also in limbo and was forgotten. We resolved to complete it in 2014 and completed the project in just 3 years. Pakyong Airport in Sikkim was also conceptualized in 2008. But till 2014, it remained only on papers. After 2014, all the obstacles related to this project were removed and it was completed by 2018. This also provided employment. The discussions on the Paradip Refinery also started 20-22 years ago, but nothing fruitful happened till 2013. When our government came to power, like all the pending projects, we took up the Paradip Refinery project and completed it. When such infrastructure projects are completed, not only do they create direct employment opportunities, but also create many indirect employment opportunities.

Friends,

Real estate is a vast sector creating employment in the country. In the direction this sector was going, the ruin of the middle class as well as the builders was certain. Due to RERA law, there has been transparency in the real estate sector today, and investment in this sector is continuously increasing. Today, more than one lakh real estate projects in the country are registered under the RERA law. Earlier, projects used to get stalled and so new employment opportunities came to a standstill. This growing real estate of the country is creating a large number of employment opportunities.

Friends,

The policies and decisions of the Government of India have taken the country's economy to new heights today. Major institutions of the world are very positive about Bharat's growth rate. Recently, a global leader in investment ratings has put its seal of approval on Bharat's rapid growth. They estimate that growth in Bharat will continue at a rapid pace due to increasing employment opportunities, large working-age population and increase in labour productivity. The strength of Bharat's manufacturing and construction sector is also a major reason for the same.

All these facts are proof that in the coming times too, immense possibilities of employment and self-employment will continue to be created in Bharat. This in itself is very important for the youth of the country. Being a government employee, you also have a pivotal role in this. You have to ensure that the benefits of development taking place in Bharat reach the last person of the society. No matter how far away an area is, it should be your priority. No matter how inaccessible a person’s location is, you have to reach him. As an employee of the Government of India, only when you move forward with this approach, the dream of a developed Bharat will come true.

Friends,

The next 25 years are very important for you and the country. Very few generations have had this kind of opportunity. Make full use of this opportunity. I also request that all of you must join the new learning module “Karmayogi Prarambh”. There should not be a single friend who does not increase his potential and skills by associating with it. Never stop that urge to learn which has brought you to this point. Keep learning continuously; keep growing yourself continuously. This is the beginning of your life; the country is also growing; you too have to grow. After joining the service, do not get stuck here. And a massive system has been developed for the same.

Karmayogi Prarambh was started a year ago. Since then, lakhs of new government employees have obtained their training through it. Those who work with me in the Prime Minister's Office, in the PMO, all of them are senior employees. They look after the important matters of the country, but they are also associated with it and are continuously appearing in tests, exams, and taking up courses due to which their potential, their strength is growing stronger which is strengthening my PMO and also the country.

More than 800 courses are also available on our online training platform iGoT Karmayogi. Do use it to enhance your skills. And today with this new beginning of your life, the dreams of your families are getting new wings. I also convey my best wishes to your family members. As you have joined the government sector, if possible, write one thing in your diary today that as an ordinary citizen, whatever be your age - 20, 22, 25 years, what problems did you face in the government? Sometimes there might have been a problem at the bus station or there might have been a problem due to the police on the roads. You might have faced a problem in a government office somewhere.

You just recall that and be determined that whatever problems you have faced in your life because of the government and a government employee, you will never want any citizen to face such problems at any point of your life. I will not behave in that manner. Just by deciding that whatever had happened to you would not happen to anyone else could tremendously help the common people. I extend my best wishes to you for your bright future in the direction of nation building.

Thank you very much.