NE NEWS SERVICE
AMRELI, OCT 28
The world is now listening to India with rapt attention and seriousness, and everyone is looking at the country with new hope and discussing the vast possibilities it presents in different fields, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Monday.
Speaking at the launch of development works in Amreli. These projects will significantly improve the ease of living for the people and accelerate the region's growth.https://t.co/xNpu3ZV3RG
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 28, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various development projects worth over Rs 4,900 crores in Amreli, Gujarat on Monday. Today’s development projects comprise rail, road, water development and tourism sectors. They will benefit the citizens of Amreli, Jamnagar, Morbi, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar, Kachchh and Botad districts of the state.
- These projects will significantly improve the ease of living for the people and accelerate the region’s growth : PM
- They will benefit the citizens of Amreli, Jamnagar, Morbi, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar, Kachchh and Botad districts
- Navda-Chavand Bulk Pipeline project would benefit nearly 1,300 villages and over 35 cities impacting districts like Amreli, Botad, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Porbandar
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the festive spirit of Dhanteras and Diwali noting that while these festivals celebrate culture, the ongoing progress in development is equally significant. He shared updates on several major projects across Gujarat mentioning his visit to Vadodara where he inaugurated India’s first factory dedicated to manufacturing Made in India aircraft for the Indian Air Force. The Prime Minister mentioned inaugurating Bharat Mata Sarovar in Amreli earlier today and said that several large projects related to water, roads and railways have been inaugurated and the foundation laid here. He said that these projects would ease the lives of people in Saurashtra and Kutch, accelerate regional development, enrich local farmers and create new employment opportunities for the youth. He congratulated everyone on the development projects of today.
માનનીય વડાપ્રધાન શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઈ મોદીએ આજે અમરેલી જિલ્લાના દુધાળા ખાતે ગુજરાત સરકાર અને ધોળકિયા ફાઉન્ડેશન દ્વારા નિર્માણ પામેલ ભારતમાતા સરોવરનું માનનીય રાજ્યપાલ શ્રી આચાર્ય દેવવ્રત, મુખ્યમંત્રી શ્રી ભૂપેન્દ્રભાઈ પટેલ, કેન્દ્ર-રાજ્યના મંત્રીશ્રીઓ તેમજ અન્ય મહાનુભાવોની ઉપસ્થિતિમાં… pic.twitter.com/HsmT9yhD6G
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) October 28, 2024
Remarking that the land of Amreli in Saurashtra had given many gems to India, the Prime Minister said that Amreli has a glorious past in every way, historically, culturally, literary- related and politically. He added that Amreli is the karmabhoomi of Shri Yogiji Maharaj and Bhoja Bhagat as well as folk singer and poet Dulabhayya Kag, poets like Kalapi, world-famous magician, K Lal and the leader of modern poetry, Ramesh Parekh. He further added that Amreli has also given Gujarat its first Chief Minister, Jivraj Mehta ji. Modi noted that the children of Amreli have also earned a big name in the business world with huge contributions to the society. He added that this tradition has been strengthened by the Dholkaiya Family, which was associated with the 80/20 schemes related to water conservation of the Gujarat government. The Prime Minister also noted that the changes were evident due to the continuous efforts in the last two and a half decades.
માનનીય વડાપ્રધાન શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઈ મોદી દ્વારા આજે અમરેલી જિલ્લાના લાઠી ખાતે આયોજિત સમારોહમાં માનનીય રાજ્યપાલ શ્રી આચાર્ય દેવવ્રત, મુખ્યમંત્રી શ્રી ભૂપેન્દ્રભાઈ પટેલ, કેન્દ્ર તથા રાજ્યના મંત્રીશ્રીઓ તેમજ અન્ય મહાનુભાવોની ઉપસ્થિતિમાં પાણી પુરવઠા, રોડ, રેલવે સહિતના ક્ષેત્રે અમરેલી,… pic.twitter.com/ui3EkmDsWt
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) October 28, 2024
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of water, particularly for the people of Gujarat and Saurashtra who have long faced water-related challenges.
He reflected on the past when Saurashtra was known for migration due to water scarcity and said, “Today, the situation has transformed. Now, Narmada water reaches villages” as he lauded government initiatives like Jalsanchay and the Sauni scheme that have significantly raised groundwater levels.
The Prime Minister highlighted Gujarat’s remarkable progress over the past two decades in ensuring water reaches every household and farm, setting an example for the entire nation. He said that the state’s continuous efforts to provide water to every corner are ongoing and today’s projects will further benefit millions of people in the region.
Modi informed that the Navda-Chavand Bulk Pipeline project would benefit nearly 1,300 villages and over 35 cities impacting districts like Amreli, Botad, Junagadh, Rajkot, and Porbandar. He said that the initiative would supply an additional 30 crore liters of water every day to these regions. Referring to the foundation stone laying for the second phase of the Pasvi Group Saurashtra Regional Water Supply Scheme, the Prime Minister said that it would address the needs of Talaja, Mahuva, and Palitana talukas. “Once completed, around 100 villages will directly benefit from this project”, he informed.
He praised the Catch the Rain campaign, which is gaining momentum under the leadership of C R Patil.
The Prime Minister underscored that now due to the availability of more water, farming had become easier and with the water of Narmada, three-season farming was now possible in Amreli. “Today, Amreli district has emerged as a leader in the field of farming”, exclaimed the PM. He noted that cultivation of crops like cotton, groundnut, sesame and millet was getting a boost and Amreli’s pride, Kesar mango, had received a GI tag. He added that GI tag status meant Amreli’s identity was associated with Kesar mango, wherever it was sold in the world. The Prime Minister also emphasized that Amreli was rapidly emerging as a major center of natural farming and the country’s first Natural Farming University was being built in Halol. He added that under this university, Amreli had got Gujarat’s first Natural Farming College. Shri Modi said that the effort was to ensure more and more farmers can engage in animal husbandry and also be benefitted from natural farming. Highlighting that Amreli’s dairy industry has grown tremendously in recent years, Shri Modi said it was possible only due to the joint efforts of the government and cooperatives. Reminiscing the inception of Amar Dairy in 2007 when government committees of 25 villages were associated with it, Shri Modi said “Today more than 700 cooperative societies were associated with Amar Dairy and about 1.25 lakh liters of milk was being collected every day”.
Touching upon Amreli’s rise to fame in the sweet revolution, Shri Modi said honey production had given the farmers an additional source of income. He noted that hundreds of farmers of Amreli had started businesses related to honey after being trained in beekeeping.
Speaking about the PM Surya Garh Yojana to eliminate electricity bills and generate income from electricity ensuring an annual savings of ₹25,000 to ₹30,000 for each family, the Prime Minister informed that approximately 200,000 solar panels have been installed on rooftops across Gujarat in just a few months since its implementation. He highlighted that Amreli district is rapidly advancing in solar energy exemplified by Dudhala village, where hundreds of households have solar panels installed. As a result, the Prime Minister said, the village is saving around Rs 75,000 per month in electricity bills with each home benefiting from an annual saving of ₹4,000. “Dudhala is quickly becoming Amreli’s first solar village”, he added.
Noting that Saurashtra is a significant hub for tourism hosting numerous sacred sites and places of faith, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of Sardar Sarovar Dam as a major tourist attraction. He informed that over 50 lakh visitors came to see the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel last year. He spoke about visiting the site in two days for Sardar Saheb’s Jayanti and witnessing the Rashtriya Ekta Parade.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Kerly Recharge Reservoir would become a major centre of eco-tourism in the times to come and Adventure tourism will get a big boost. He further added that it would also give a new identity to Kerly Bird Sanctuary in the world.
Highlighting the long coastline of Gujarat, Modi remarked that the development along with preservation of heritage was the priority of the Government. Therefore, he added, that the centuries-old heritage related to fisheries and ports was being revived. The Prime Minister noted the approval of the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal by the Government and said that the move would introduce and inspire the country and the world to India’s glorious maritime heritage.
“Our endeavor is that the blue water of the ocean should give impetus to the blue revolution”, stated Shri Modi. He added that Port-led development should strengthen the resolve of a developed India. The Prime Minister informed that better infrastructure was being expanded for fishermen in Jafrabad, Shiyalbet; while the modernisation of the Pipavav port in Amreli had created new employment opportunities for thousands of people today along with the capacity to handle more than 10 lakh containers and thousands of vehicles. Modi emphasized the Government’s endeavor to modernize the connectivity of Pipavav port and every such port in Gujarat with other parts of the country.
The Prime Minister reiterated that infrastructure such as pucca homes for the poor, electricity, roads, railways, airports and gas pipelines is essential for building a Viksit Bharat. He affirmed that the government in its third term is working swiftly on infrastructure development. He highlighted that the benefits of improved infrastructure connectivity in Saurashtra have significantly boosted industrial growth..
Modi shared that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has committed to granting 90,000 visas to Indians annually, emphasizing that India must focus on developing the necessary skills for this opportunity.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the rapid progress in constructing the economic corridor from Jamnagar to Amritsar-Bhatinda, stating, “This project will benefit all states from Gujarat to Punjab. Today’s inaugurations and foundation-laying of road projects will improve connectivity for major industrial centers like Jamnagar and Morbi, enhancing access to cement factories as well as facilitating easier pilgrimages to Somnath and Dwarka.” He further added that the expansion of railway connectivity in Kutch will further strengthen tourism and industrialization in Saurashtra and Kutch.
“As India is developing rapidly, India’s pride in the world is also increasing continuously”, said the Prime Minister. He added that today the world was looking at India with a new perspective and recognizing India’s potential and listening to India seriously. Noting that everyone was discussing India’s possibilities these days, Modi emphasized that Gujarat had a huge role in it. He remarked that Gujarat had shown the world about the potential India has in every city and village..
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said, “When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I used to say that the country develops through the development of Gujarat. A Viksit Gujarat will strengthen the path to a Viksit India”, as he congratulated everyone for the development projects of today.
Governor of Gujarat Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of Jal Shakti C R Paatil and Member of Parliament Parshottam Rupala were present on the occasion among others.
