Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri N. Rangasamy, My Union Cabinet colleague, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Shri K. Kailashnathan, Speaker, Shri R. Selvam, Home Minister, Shri A. Namassivayam, Other leaders, My dear sisters and brothers of Puducherry, Vanakkam!
Friends,
It is an honour to be here in Puducherry. This is the land of Siddhar, saints, poets and freedom fighters. This is where Mahakavi Subramania Bharati ignited the fire of nationalism. From here, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother gave a new spiritual vision for the whole world.
Friends,
When I came here earlier, I had given the mantra of BEST Puducherry. BEST means Business, Education, Spirituality and Tourism. In the last four and a half years, this vision is bearing fruit. Puducherry has witnessed good governance and development. When the Centre and the UT work with the same vision and dedication, results are faster and better. Puducherry has shown an impressive rise in per capita income. It has also achieved the highest Social Progress Index score in the country. Now, the double-engine NDA government will add more momentum to Puducherry’s growth. Today, projects worth more than Two Thousand Seven Hundred Crore Rupees are being inaugurated and foundation stones are being laid. These projects will transform the lives of the people.
Friends,
Across India, there is a great emphasis on building top-quality infrastructure. In this year’s budget, we have set aside a record Twelve Lakh Crore Rupees for building infrastructure. This will also benefit the people of Puducherry. We included Puducherry under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment Scheme, which used to be open only for states. More funding for infrastructure means better roads, water supply, coastal infrastructure, schools, hospitals and many such projects. These facilities directly make the lives of the people better.
Friends,
A strong and empowered youth is the foundation of our growth. We are working to support their dreams. At NIT Karaikal, the new Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Engineering Block and modern hostel facilities will strengthen technical education for many students. Infrastructure upgrades have been done in Pondicherry University. Its new lecture halls, girls’ hostels and other infrastructure will help students. I am told that thousands of vacancies in various departments of the Puducherry government have been filled. For many of these posts, direct recruitment examinations had not been conducted for decades. But the double engine government got it done. I congratulate all youth who have joined to serve the people.
Friends,
Today, the world is focussing on mobility that is cleaner and greener. Electric vehicles have become an important part of our life. In a tourism hub like Puducherry, electric buses can be a gamechanger in reducing pollution. Under PM e-Bus Sewa, electric buses are being provided today. The housing projects related to our programme today will give families stability and dignity. There are projects worth several hundred crores across Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam which will help people. Water desalination plants will ensure clean drinking water. New Sewage Treatment Plants will improve waste management. The government is also working to reduce flooding and waterlogging during monsoons. All our efforts are towards providing Ease of Living for the people of Puducherry. यहाँ कुछ बच्चे बढ़िया-बढ़िया चित्र बनाकर ले आए हैं। जरा एसपीजी के लोगों से कहूँगा, जरा उसको कलेक्ट कर लें। Thank you my friends, Thank you Very Much. Please collect all the gifts.
Friends,
Any nation can progress only when its human capital is healthy. That is why healthcare remains our foremost priority. We believe that healthcare should be accessible, available and affordable to all. Ayushman Bharat scheme is already fulfilling this vision for crores of families across India. No citizen of Puducherry should be forced to travel far for treatment. Instead, we want people of other regions to come here to heal. I strongly believe that Puducherry can become a medical tourism hub. Puducherry already has nine medical colleges. The modernisation of the Regional Cancer Centre at JIPMER will further expand healthcare capacity. Today, the foundation stone has been laid for three Critical Care Blocks for critically ill patients under PM-ABHIM. These new Critical Care Blocks in Puducherry and Karaikal will significantly enhance emergency capacity. Puducherry is known for Siddha medicine and holistic healthcare. The new Integrated AYUSH Hospital in Karaikal will serve the people.
Friends,
Connectivity is the backbone of progress. We are focusing both on rural and urban infrastructure. On one hand, hundreds of kilometres of rural roads are being built. They are improving connectivity for students, farmers, workers and small businesses. At the same time, we are also working to ensure decongestion of Puducherry. We have announced projects worth over One Thousand Crore Rupees in Puducherry Town. This includes a flyover worth Four Hundred And Forty Crore Rupees.
Friends,
Connectivity to Chennai is being improved through upgrades in the East Coast Road and Grand Southern Trunk Road. Travel time between Puducherry and Chennai will reduce to about 1.5-2 hours. The Puducherry to Cuddalore National Highway is already completed and the Karaikal National Highway is being upgraded. We are investing more than Thirty Thousand Crore Rupees in road projects in the East Coast Corridor up to Kanyakumari. These projects link parts of Puducherry to major economic hubs like Chennai, Bengaluru and Coimbatore. Such connectivity will significantly boost tourism, trade and industry.
Friends,
Tourism is one of Puducherry’s greatest strengths. As a weekend destination, it already attracts thousands of people. Trains and flights are always full. It is due to the warmth of the people of Puducherry that this is happening. With investments in spiritual tourism, eco-tourism and health tourism, we are taking this to new heights. Under the PRASHAD Scheme, development of pilgrimage facilities at various temples is being done. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother saw Auroville as the Universal City of Consciousness. I am happy to know that a Global Spiritual Mahotsav is beginning today in Auroville. Such gatherings unite people across regions and religions.
Friends,
It is important to celebrate the good work that is being done by the double engine government. But it is also important to remember how things were earlier. The people of Puducherry suffered immensely during Congress-DMK rule. Those years were marked by political instability, corruption, crime and suffering of the poor. Ration shops had no rice. Salaries were delayed. Goons and drug mafias ruled the streets.
Friends,
Congress had made Puducherry an ATM for one family that sits in Delhi. When it comes to DMK, you are seeing the long list of scams that are happening in Tamil Nadu also. Congress and DMK had become a speed breaker in Puducherry’s development journey. Now the same forces are hungry for power again. Should Puducherry go back to that era of corruption and crime? I am sure the people of Puducherry do not want that.
Friends,
Puducherry has been such an important part of our freedom struggle. Many leaders were born here. Some of them came here and worked from here. This land has been crucial to India getting freedom in 1947. Now, by 2047, we must create a developed Puducherry and a developed India. The double engine government of Puducherry is with you in this mission. We will keep working for BEST Puducherry.
नण्ड्री!
