Jaipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur after a gap of five years, laid the foundation stone and dedicated multiple development projects worth about Rs 5,000 crore in sectors like road, rail, aviation, health, and higher education.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the new airport terminal. Along with this, ‘Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care’ of Jodhpur AIIMS, library, hostel and mess of Rajasthan Central University and a phase of IIT Jodhpur were inaugurated.
He said that whether Indian or foreign tourist, everyone wants to visit Jodhpur once. “Recently, the G20 meeting in Jodhpur was praised by guests from all over the world. Everyone wants to see the sandy beaches, Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada once in his lifetime.Hence it is essential that Rajasthan, which represents the glorious past of India, should also represent the future. This will happen when complete Rajasthan from Mewar to Marwar progresses.”
“We need to work faster to ensure railway and road development. Rs 9,500 crore budget has been given to Rajasthan this year for Railways which is 14 times higher than the average budget announced by the last government,” the PM said.
Comparing the work of the last government with his government, he said, “Electrification of railway lines stretching to600 km was donetill 2014, however, inthe lastnine years electrification has been done on rail tracks stretching up to 3,700km. On this,electrictrain engines will run which will ensure clean air.”
Modi said, “It is in trend to make luxurious airports because influential people go there. However, Modi has a different thinking, the poor go to railway stations, so I will make railway stations better than airports. This will also include Jodhpur Railway Station.”
The Prime Minister will also flag off two new train services. These include a new train — Runicha Express connecting Jaisalmer to Delhi and a new heritage train running from Marwar Junction to Kambli Ghat.
“All development projects will boost local economic avenues and it will create new employment opportunities. This will give energy to the tourism sector as well,” he added.
“We are trying that Rajasthan besides tourism should come as an education hub too,” he said, while speaking onAIIMS Jodhpur and IIT Jodhpur.
IANS