Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Mumbai on Friday to flag off two Vande Bharat trains at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and inaugurate two road projects. After the event, PM Modi posted a video on Facebook, apparently shot from his plane, and wrote, “Hello again Mumbai!"
‘Reflection of India’s Speed & Scale’: PM Flags off 2 Vande Bharat Trains
PM Modi on Friday flagged off two Vande Bharat trains at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai and called them a reflection of India’s speed and scale.
With these two trains (Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat and Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat), Maharashtra will now have four Vande Bharats – two interstate and two intrastate – which will help boost connectivity.
Speaking at the inauguration event, the Prime Minister said that it is a huge day for Railways in India, especially for advanced connectivity in Maharashtra as this is the first time that two Vande Bharat trains have been flagged off on the same day.
He underlined that these Vande Bharat trains will connect economic centers such as Mumbai and Pune to centers of faith, thereby benefiting those traveling for college, office, business, pilgrimage and agricultural purposes. He said that traveling to sacred places like Shirdi, Nasik, Trimbakeshwar, and Panchvati will be made easier with the new Vande Bharat trains which will give a boost to tourism as well as pilgrimage. “The pilgrimages of Pandharpur, Solapur, Akkalkot and Tuljapur will also be made more accessible with the Solapur Vande Bharat Express", he added.
The Prime Minister said that the Vande Bharat train is a grand picture of modern India. “It is a reflection of India’s speed and scale."
PM Modi said there was a time when MPs used to write letters for arrangements for trains to stop at stations in their areas, for a 1-2 minute stoppage. “Now, when the MPs meet, they demand a Vande Bharat in their area. This is the craze of Vande Bharat trains today," he added.
Commenting on the speed of the launch of Vande Bharat Trains, the Prime Minister informed that so far, 10 Vande Bharat trains have started operating connecting 108 districts of 17 states of the country.
The Prime Minister also dedicated two road projects to the nation – the Santacruz Chembur Link Road and Kurar underpass project to ease road traffic congestion and streamline the movement of vehicles in Mumbai. He expressed happiness that many projects were launched today that will enhance the ease of living. He said that the elevated road will connect eastern and western suburban areas and the underpass, he said, is significant.
PM Reiterates Need to Improve Public Public Transport for 21st-century India
The Prime Minister reiterated the need for improving public transport for 21st-century India as it will lead to massive ease of living for the citizens. This thinking, he pointed out, is behind the launch of modern trains, the expansion of the Metro, and new airports and ports. The Budget also strengthens this thinking as for the first time, 10 lakh crore were allocated exclusively for infrastructure development. In this railway’s share is 2.5 lakh crore, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the Rail Budget for Maharashtra also witnessed an unprecedented rise and expressed the hope that with the efforts of the double-engine government, connectivity in Maharashtra will move ahead rapidly.
Middle Class Strengthened in Budget 2023: PM Modi
The Prime Minister said the middle class has been strengthened in the budget 2023 and underlined that the needs of both the salaried class and those who own businesses have been addressed in this year’s budget.
He noted that people with an income of more than 2 lakh rupees were taxed before 2014 but it was the present government that initially increased it to 5 lakh rupees and now to 7 lakh rupees in this year’s budget. “Those who paid 20% tax in the UPA government pay zero tax today", the Prime Minister remarked. He also highlighted that those with new jobs now have an opportunity to save more.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment