India PM Narendra Modi and Mauritius PM Jugnauth virtually launching multiple projects in Mauritius with India's financial assistance (Photo Credit: ANI)
A host of housing projects and Metro rail projects were launched by India PM Modi and Mauritius PM in Mauritius, with Indian assistance. One Metro Station to be named after Mahatma Gandhi.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (January 20) said that India will always continue to stand by Mauritius and maintained that Mauritius was one of the first countries under the Vaccine Maitri programme India had dispatched COVID vaccines.
"I am happy that today Mauritius is among the few countries in the world to have fully vaccinated three-fourths of its population," Mr Modi said during a virtual programme with his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. Both leaders jointly inaugurated the India-assisted Social Housing Units project in Mauritius virtually. The two dignitaries also launched the Civil Service College and 8 MW Solar PV Farm projects in Mauritius.
In his address, PM Modi further said: "In the coming days, we will work on several important projects, such as the regional transplant unit, the forensic science laboratory, the national library and archives, the Mauritius police academy, and many others". India will always continue to stand by Mauritius, he said
PM Modi added, "I wish to recall the stellar contribution of late Anerood Jugnauth (former Mauritius President) to strengthen the India-Mauritius ties. We look forward to supporting the further extension of the metro, under the $190 million Line of Credit (LoC) extension."
Recalling his visit to Mauritius in 2015, the Prime Minister said, "I had outlined India's maritime cooperation vision of SAGAR–‘Security and Growth for All in the Region'. I am glad that our bilateral cooperation, including in maritime security, has translated this vision into action."
Speaking on occasion, Mauritius PM Jugnauth said, "To pay gratitude for India's support to the metro express project, my government has decided to name one of the major metro stations as 'Mahatma Gandhi' station".
Meanwhile, sources say the Social Housing project is one of the five high-profile infrastructure projects identified for implementation under the USD 353 million Special Economic Package (SEP) extended to the Government of Mauritius in 2016. The project's total cost is USD 44.995 million-comprising grant assistance of USD 20 million.
The Government of India extended financial assistance to the tune of USD 527 million (USD 267 million as Grant and USD 260 million as LOC) towards the Metro Express project. The 26 km long Metro project is being implemented in two phases. Phase I connecting Port Louis and Rose Hill was completed and e-inaugurated jointly by the two Prime Ministers on October 3, 2019.
Phase II connecting Rose Hill to Curepipe is underway and is expected to be completed by December 2022. An interim part of Phase II, i.e. between Rose Hill and Quatre Bornes (approx 2.7 km), was inaugurated by the PM of Mauritius on June 20, 2021.
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