New Delhi: As Narendra Damodardas Modi completes eight years in office as the Prime Minister, the Gujarat government recalls a few of his mega achievements and contributions to the native state.
Mr Modi was first sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014, by then President Pranab Mukherjee.
Officials say Prime Minister Modi had given the nod to shut the gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam under Narmada Yojana on the 17th day of taking charge. There was already a longstanding demand for the closure of Sardar Sarovar Dam gates.
After the Prime Minister’s approval, an expert committee was formed, which submitted its report redressing the problems of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. With the committee’s consent, the gates were finally closed on June 16, 2017.
The closure of the gates opened the “gates of opportunities” in Gujarat as the dam’s capacity grew 3.75 times to 4.73 Million Cubic Meters, sources say.
Among other such features – Gujarat got the outstanding Crude Oil Royalty.
Mr Modi, in March 2015, approved the payment of Rs 763 crore to the Government of Gujarat as a Crude Oil Royalty. “This was one more big decision in favour of Gujarat as the matter was pending in the Supreme Court,” a source said.
In fact, prioritising the needs and interests of Gujarat, the Prime Minister decided to disburse about Rs 800 crores as crude oil royalty to Gujarat.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s contribution for Gujarat is immense,” Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told ‘Organiser’.
“Thanks to his unique style of functioning and meticulous planning with a focus on every detail, Gujarat is today a model of economic development for other states and countries across the globe,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Officials say AIIMS Rajkot should also be listed as one of the major achievements during the last eight years.
“As the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modiji very well understood and felt the need for such a national level medical institution. Hence, after becoming the Prime Minister, his determination to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure materialised as he gave approval for establishing an AIIMS in Rajkot. PM also laid the foundation stone of Rajkot AIIMS in December 2020,” said an official.
The Prime Minister also approved a Light House Project for Gujarat.
Under the Light House Project, an ambitious scheme of the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs, beneficiaries are provided with sustainable houses considering the local climate and ecology.
Six states got the benefits of the project- Tripura, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.
Under the Light House Project, around 1,144 houses are being constructed in Rajkot city in Gujarat.
Official sources also say that PM Modi’s one more significant gift to Gujarat came in the form of a high-speed bullet train. Ahmedabad, along with Mumbai, two of the business centres of India, will be among the first cities in India to witness the development of this high-speed rail corridor.
The foundation of this project was laid by Modi on September 14, 2017, in the presence of the then Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.
Around 98 per cent of land acquisition has been accomplished in Gujarat’s region under this project.
There were a few more milestones during the last eight years.
Of course, the Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has become a landmark for Gujarat. Tourists from all over the world visit the spot to catch sight of this 182-metre-long statue. To provide ease of access to the visitors, the PM also inaugurated Kevadiya Railway Station in January 2021.
This has enhanced the connectivity towards the world’s tallest statue. At present, eight trains of Indian Railways are running on this route.
Acknowledging Gujarat’s proficiency in sector-specific education, in September 2018, the PM inaugurated India’s first National Rail and Transport Institute in Vadodara, Gujarat.
Notably, several world leaders have been hosted in the Prime Minister’s native state during the last eight years.
They include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Shinzo Abe, the then PM of Japan, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump in 2020 and Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and also British PM Boris Johnson.
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