Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and dedicated to the nation various projects over Rs 11,200 crore via video conferencing in Maharashtra on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi recalled the cancellation of his event in Pune due to bad weather two days ago and credited technology for today’s virtual event saying that this land of inspiration of great personalities is witnessing a new chapter of Maharashtra’s development.
He mentioned the inauguration of the Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate and laying the foundation stone for Swargate-Katraj Extension of Pune Metro Phase-1 today. He also touched upon laying the foundation stone for Memorial for Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule’s First Girls’ School at Bhidewada and expressed satisfaction with the fast progress towards increasing ease of living in Pune.
“Today, Maharashtra needs big goals with new resolutions ”, the Prime Minister remarked, emphasizing the need to make cities like Pune a center of progress and urban development.
Talking about Pune’s progress and the pressure of the growing population, the Prime Minister said steps need to be taken now to augment development and capacity . To achieve this goal, the Prime Minister said that the present state government is working with the approach of modernizing Pune’s public transport and giving a boost to connectivity as the city expands.
The Prime Minister recalled that discussions about Pune Metro began in 2008 but its foundation stone was laid in 2016 when quick decisions were taken by his government. As a result, the Prime Minister said, today Pune Metro is gaining speed and expanding.
Referring to today’s projects, Modi said on the one hand Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate has been inaugurated while on the other hand foundation stone for Swargate to Katraj line has also been laid. He recalled inaugurating the metro service from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi in March this year.
The Prime Minister lauded the work done for the expansion of Pune Metro from 2016 till now because of faster decision-making and removing obstacles. He pointed out that the present government has prepared a modern network of metro in Pune while the previous government could barely construct a single Metro pillar in 8 years.
Modi underscored the importance of development-driven governance in ensuring Maharashtra’s progress, emphasizing that any disruption in this continuity leads to significant losses for the state.
He highlighted various stalled projects, from Metro initiatives to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and critical irrigation projects for farmers, which were delayed before the advent of the double-engine government.
The Prime Minister emphasized the pivotal role of women’s leadership in societal transformation. He paid tribute to Maharashtra’s legacy of women’s empowerment, particularly the efforts of Savitribai Phule, who initiated the movement for women’s education by opening first girls’ school.
The Prime Minister highlighted the immense challenges faced by women in pre-independence India, particularly in accessing education, and praised visionaries like Savitribai Phule for opening the doors of education for women.
Concluding the address, PM Modi also reaffirmed his belief in Maharashtra’s pivotal role in guiding the nation towards development and said, “Together we will achieve this goal of ‘Viskit Maharashtra, Viksit Bharat”.
