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PM reviews performance of key infrastructure sectors

Published By : Admin | April 26, 2017 | 12:25 IST
PM Modi reviews progress of key infrastucture projects
The highest ever average daily construction rate of 130 km achieved for rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Over 4000 km of rural roads have been constructed using green technology in FY17
India building highways at fast pace: Over 26,000 km of 4 or 6 lane national highways built in FY17
Putting Indian Railways on fast-track: 953 km of new lines laid in 2016-17, as against the target of 400 km
Track electrification of over 2000 km & gauge conversion of over 1000 km achieved, 1500 unmanned level crossings eliminated in 2016-17
Sagarmala: 415 projects have been identified with investment of Rs. 8 lakh crore
Towards a digitally connected India: 2187 mobile towers installed in districts affected by Left Wing Extremists in 2016-17

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on Tuesday reviewed progress of key infrastructure sectors including roads, railways, airports, ports, digital, and coal. The review meeting, which lasted for about four and a half hours, was attended by top officials from PMO, NITI Aayog and all infrastructure Ministries of the Government of India.

In course of the presentation made by CEO NITI Aayog, it was noted that remarkable progress has been made in several areas and infrastructure sectors. In a broad overview of the progress in the roads and railways sectors, the Prime Minister called for a consolidated approach to existing projects, and working towards their completion within strict timelines.

The highest ever average daily construction rate of 130 km, has been achieved for rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. This has led to an addition of 47,400 km of PMGSY roads in 2016-17. 11,641 additional habitations have been connected with roads in the same period.

Over 4000 km of rural roads have been constructed using green technology in FY17. The use of non-conventional materials such as waste plastic, cold mix, geo-textiles, fly ash, iron and copper slag is being pushed aggressively.

The Prime Minister directed efficient and stringent monitoring of rural roads construction and their quality. For this, he emphasized on use of space technology in addition to the technologies already being used, such as the “Meri Sadak” App. He called for expeditious completion of vital links which will connect the remaining unconnected habitations at the earliest.

The Prime Minister directed the use of new technologies in road construction also. He asked NITI Aayog to examine global standards in the application of technology for infrastructure creation, and their feasibility in India.

In the highways sector, over 26,000 km of 4 or 6 lane national highways have been built in FY17, and the pace is improving.

In the railways sector, 953 km of new lines were laid in 2016-17, as against the target of 400 km. Track electrification of over 2000 km, and gauge conversion of over 1000 km was achieved in the same period. More than 1500 unmanned level crossings have been eliminated in 2016-17. Among measures to enhance customer experience, Wi-Fi access was enabled in 115 railway stations, and 34,000 bio-toilets added. The Prime Minister called for speeding up of work related to redevelopment of Railway Stations, and greater creativity in the generation of non-fare revenue.

Progress of important projects in the roads and railways sectors, such as the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Char Dham Project, the Quazigund-Banihal Tunnel, the Chenab railway bridge, and the Jiribam-Imphal project was also reviewed. In the aviation sector, the Regional Connectivity Scheme will connect 43 destinations, including 31 unserved destinations. The passenger capacity in the aviation sector has reached 282 million passengers per annum.

In the ports sector, under the Sagarmala project, 415 projects have been identified with investment of Rs. 8 lakh crore, and projects worth 1.37 lakh crore rupees have been taken up for implementation. The Prime Minister stressed on better outcomes for turnaround time of ships and clearance for Exim cargo. The highest ever capacity addition of 100.4 MTPA in major ports has been recorded in 2016-17. All 193 lighthouses are now powered by solar energy. Digitization of land records has been completed in all major ports.

In the digital infrastructure sector, 2187 mobile towers have been installed in districts affected by Left Wing Extremists, in 2016-17. Progress of the National Optical Fibre Network was reviewed. The Prime Minister emphasized that the emerging digital connectivity network, which will connect thousands of Gram Panchayats within the next few months, should be backed up by appropriate governance steps, so that it can lead to better quality of life, and greater empowerment of people in the rural areas.

In the coal sector, rationalization of coal linkages and movement yielded an annual saving of over Rs 2500 crore in 2016-17. Noting the decline in coal imports in the last year, the Prime Minister asked for even more vigorous efforts towards coal import substitution, and application of new coal technologies including gasification technology.

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Prime Minister's address to the Indian Community in Guyana
Prime Minister's address to the Indian Community in Guyana
November 22, 2024

Your Excellency President Irfan Ali,
Prime Minister Mark Philips,
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo,
Former President Donald Ramotar,
Members of the Guyanese Cabinet,
Members of the Indo-Guyanese Community,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar!

Seetaram !

I am delighted to be with all of you today.First of all, I want to thank President Irfan Ali for joining us.I am deeply touched by the love and affection given to me since my arrival.I thank President Ali for opening the doors of his home to me.

I thank his family for their warmth and kindness. The spirit of hospitality is at the heart of our culture. I could feel that, over the last two days. With President Ali and his grandmother, we also planted a tree. It is part of our initiative, "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam", that is, "a tree for mother”. It was an emotional moment that I will always remember.

Friends,

I was deeply honoured to receive the ‘Order of Excellence’, the highest national award of Guyana. I thank the people of Guyana for this gesture. This is an honour of 1.4 billion Indians. It is the recognition of the 3 lakh strong Indo-Guyanese community and their contributions to the development of Guyana.

Friends,

I have great memories of visiting your wonderful country over two decades ago. At that time, I held no official position. I came to Guyana as a traveller, full of curiosity. Now, I have returned to this land of many rivers as the Prime Minister of India. A lot of things have changed between then and now. But the love and affection of my Guyanese brothers and sisters remains the same! My experience has reaffirmed - you can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian.

Friends,

Today, I visited the India Arrival Monument. It brings to life, the long and difficult journey of your ancestors nearly two centuries ago. They came from different parts of India. They brought with them different cultures, languages and traditions. Over time, they made this new land their home. Today, these languages, stories and traditions are part of the rich culture of Guyana.

I salute the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community. You fought for freedom and democracy. You have worked to make Guyana one of the fastest growing economies. From humble beginnings you have risen to the top. Shri Cheddi Jagan used to say: "It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.”He also lived these words. The son of a family of labourers, he went on to become a leader of global stature.

President Irfan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, former President Donald Ramotar, they are all Ambassadors of the Indo Guyanese community. Joseph Ruhomon, one of the earliest Indo-Guyanese intellectuals, Ramcharitar Lalla, one of the first Indo-Guyanese poets, Shana Yardan, the renowned woman poet, Many such Indo-Guyanese made an impact on academics and arts, music and medicine.

Friends,

Our commonalities provide a strong foundation to our friendship. Three things, in particular, connect India and Guyana deeply. Culture, cuisine and cricket! Just a couple of weeks ago, I am sure you all celebrated Diwali. And in a few months, when India celebrates Holi, Guyana will celebrate Phagwa.

This year, the Diwali was special as Ram Lalla returned to Ayodhya after 500 years. People in India remember that the holy water and shilas from Guyana were also sent to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Despite being oceans apart, your cultural connection with Mother India is strong.

I could feel this when I visited the Arya Samaj Monument and Saraswati Vidya Niketan School earlier today. Both India and Guyana are proud of our rich and diverse culture. We see diversity as something to be celebrated, not just accommodated. Our countries are showing how cultural diversity is our strength.

Friends,

Wherever people of India go, they take one important thing along with them. The food! The Indo-Guyanese community also has a unique food tradition which has both Indian and Guyanese elements. I am aware that Dhal Puri is popular here! The seven-curry meal that I had at President Ali’s home was delicious. It will remain a fond memory for me.

Friends,

The love for cricket also binds our nations strongly. It is not just a sport. It is a way of life, deeply embedded in our national identity. The Providence National Cricket Stadium in Guyana stands as a symbol of our friendship.

Kanhai, Kalicharan, Chanderpaul are all well-known names in India. Clive Lloyd and his team have been a favourite of many generations. Young players from this region also have a huge fan base in India. Some of these great cricketers are here with us today. Many of our cricket fans enjoyed the T-20 World Cup that you hosted this year.

Your cheers for the ‘Team in Blue’ at their match in Guyana could be heard even back home in India!

Friends,

This morning, I had the honour of addressing the Guyanese Parliament. Coming from the Mother of Democracy, I felt the spiritual connect with one of the most vibrant democracies in the Caribbean region. We have a shared history that binds us together. Common struggle against colonial rule, love for democratic values, And, respect for diversity.

We have a shared future that we want to create. Aspirations for growth and development, Commitment towards economy and ecology, And, belief in a just and inclusive world order.

Friends,

I know the people of Guyana are well-wishers of India. You would be closely watching the progress being made in India. India’s journey over the past decade has been one of scale, speed and sustainability.

In just 10 years, India has grown from the tenth largest economy to the fifth largest. And, soon, we will become the third-largest. Our youth have made us the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. India is a global hub for e-commerce, AI, fintech, agriculture, technology and more.

We have reached Mars and the Moon. From highways to i-ways, airways to railways, we are building state of art infrastructure. We have a strong service sector. Now, we are also becoming stronger in manufacturing. India has become the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world.

Friends,

India’s growth has not only been inspirational but also inclusive. Our digital public infrastructure is empowering the poor. We opened over 500 million bank accounts for the people. We connected these bank accounts with digital identity and mobiles. Due to this, people receive assistance directly in their bank accounts. Ayushman Bharat is the world’s largest free health insurance scheme. It is benefiting over 500 million people.

We have built over 30 million homes for those in need. In just one decade, we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. Even among the poor, our initiatives have benefited women the most. Millions of women are becoming grassroots entrepreneurs, generating jobs and opportunities.

Friends,

While all this massive growth was happening, we also focused on sustainability. In just a decade, our solar energy capacity grew 30-fold ! Can you imagine ?We have moved towards green mobility, with 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol.

At the international level too, we have played a central role in many initiatives to combat climate change. The International Solar Alliance, The Global Biofuels Alliance, The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Many of these initiatives have a special focus on empowering the Global South.

We have also championed the International Big Cat Alliance. Guyana, with its majestic Jaguars, also stands to benefit from this.

Friends,

Last year, we had hosted President Irfaan Ali as the Chief Guest of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. We also received Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in India. Together, we have worked to strengthen bilateral cooperation in many areas.

Today, we have agreed to widen the scope of our collaboration -from energy to enterprise,Ayurveda to agriculture, infrastructure to innovation, healthcare to human resources, anddata to development. Our partnership also holds significant value for the wider region. The second India-CARICOM summit held yesterday is testament to the same.

As members of the United Nations, we both believe in reformed multilateralism. As developing countries, we understand the power of the Global South. We seek strategic autonomy and support inclusive development. We prioritize sustainable development and climate justice. And, we continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to address global crises.

Friends,

I always call our diaspora the Rashtradoots. An Ambassador is a Rajdoot, but for me you are all Rashtradoots. They are Ambassadors of Indian culture and values. It is said that no worldly pleasure can compare to the comfort of a mother’s lap.

You, the Indo-Guyanese community, are doubly blessed. You have Guyana as your motherland and Bharat Mata as your ancestral land. Today, when India is a land of opportunities, each one of you can play a bigger role in connecting our two countries.

Friends,

Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz has been launched. I call upon you to participate. Also encourage your friends from Guyana. It will be a good opportunity to understand India, its values, culture and diversity.

Friends,

Next year, from 13 January to 26 February, Maha Kumbh will be held at Prayagraj. I invite you to attend this gathering with families and friends. You can travel to Basti or Gonda, from where many of you came. You can also visit the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. There is another invite.

It is for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that will be held in Bhubaneshwar in January. If you come, you can also take the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri. Now with so many events and invitations, I hope to see many of you in India soon. Once again, thank you all for the love and affection you have shown me.

Thank you.
Thank you very much.

And special thanks to my friend Ali. Thanks a lot.