Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched several development projects worth Rs. 3,023 crores in the poll-bound Puducherry on 25th February. During his speech, he quoted a couplet from Thirukkural which won applause from the audience.
Prime Minister Modi said “the coast is the spirit of Puducherry. There is so much potential in fisheries, port, shipping and the blue economy. I am honoured to lay the foundation of Puducherry Port Development under the Sagarmala scheme. Once completed, it will help our fishermen who have been using this port for venturing into the sea for fishing operations. It will prove much needed sea connectivity to Chennai and facilitate cargo movement for industries of Puducherry and ease the load on Chennai port. It will also open up passenger traffic among the coastal cities.”
He laid the foundation stone for ports and highway sectors in the presence of Lt. Governor Tamil Isai Soundararajan and union minister of state Arjune Ram Meghwa. Modi said the Centre has been consistently taking efforts to improve rural and coastal connectivity and farmers across Bharat were innovating. “It is the duty of my government to ensure their products get a good market. Good roads do exactly do that” PM Modi said this while laying the foundation stone for the four-lane NH-45 road project at Sattanathapuram-Nagapattiam stretch covering Karaikkal district. “Besides providing better road connectivity and to pick economic pace. Devotees can have access to Saneeswarar temple at Thirunallar and also better interstate connectivity to the Basilica of Our Mary of Good health and the Nagore Dargh both are located in Nagapattinam district. The GOI has made many efforts to improve rural and coastal connectivity. The agricultural sector will gain from this four-lane project,” he added.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Medical College building at Karaiakkal new campus of JIPMER-phase 1 and synthetic-Athletic track at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex at Puducherry. The new projects, he hoped, would improve the people’s life in Puducherry and the works cover diverse sectors. Sportswomen from hockey, weightlifting, Kabadi, Volleyball among others will benefit from the SAI hostel with 100-bed accommodation. Modi said that the inauguration of the Blood Centre in JIPMER at Rs. 28 crores was in line with the Centre’s objective to provide quality healthcare to all. Modi said, “Puducherry has done well in promoting direct benefit transfer beneficiaries under various welfare schemes. This makes people empowered in making their choices. The people of Puducherry are talented. This land is beautiful. I am here to personally assure all possible support from my government for the development of Puducherry.”
Quoting from the Tamil treatise Thirukkural written by saint-poet Thiruvalluvar, Modi said “ learning and education are the true wealth while all other things are not stable.
Coming down heavily on former CM Narayanaswamy who laid to his party chief Rahul Gandhi by wrongly translating the grievances of a fisherwomen, Prime Minister Modi said, “It is an example of how people like him would behave in public life . Can people like him be reliable? The former CM hid the complaint into a complement.”
Later he flew to Coimbatore to participate in various programs.
