Modi dedicates, lays foundation of Rs.20,000 crore projects in TN

Chennai, Jan 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation for development projects worth over Rs.20,000 crore in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu.

The development projects include sectors such as rail, road, oil and gas, and shipping sectors in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the gathering, Modi said the projects will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s progress as many of them would boost travel and also create thousands of employment opportunities in the state.

Expressing condolences to the people who had lost their lives in the recent floods in Tamil Nadu Modi said the Centre stands with the people of Tamil Nadu.

“We are providing all possible help to the State government”, he said.

Paying tribute to actor-turned-politician late Vijaykanth who passed away recently, Modi said, “He was a ‘Captain’ not only in the field of cinema but also in politics.”

Modi also remembered the contributions of Dr M S Swaminathan who played an important role in the food security of the country and paid tribute to the departed soul.

Referring to the rich heritage of Tiruchirappalli, Modi said that “here we find the remnants of good governance models of dynasties like Pallava, Chola, Pandyas and Nayaks.”

Modi also said that he mentions the Tamil culture at any given opportunity during his travels abroad. He also mentioned India breaking into the top five economies of the world where it has become a ray of hope for the world.

Referring to the huge incoming investments in India from across the globe, the Prime Minister said that its direct benefits are being availed by Tamil Nadu and its people as the state has become a prime brand ambassador for ‘Make in India’.

Referring to the projects dedicated on Tuesday, Modi said the New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport will increase the capacity by three times and strengthen connectivity to East Asia, Middle East and other parts of the world.

Referring to the five new railway projects, Modi said that they will promote industry and electricity generation.

The new road projects will connect important centres of faith and tourism like Srirangam, Chidambaram, Rameshwaram and Vellore.

Dwelling upon the port-led development focus of the Centre during the last ten years, the Prime Minister mentioned projects to transform the coastal areas and the lives of fishermen. He listed a separate ministry and budget for fisheries, Kisan Credit Card for fishermen, assistance for boat modernisation for deep sea fishing and the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana.

Referring to the Sagarmala Yojna, the Prime Minister informed that ports in the country are being connected with better roads.

He said that the port capacity and turn-around time of the ships have improved significantly as he mentioned the Kamrajar Port whose capacity has been doubled.

He also mentioned the inauguration of General Cargo Berth-II of Kamarajar Port which will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s import and export, especially the automobile sector. He also touched upon nuclear reactor and gas pipelines which will give rise to employment opportunities.

The Prime Minister informed about record expenditure on Tamil Nadu by the Central Government. He said that in the decade before 2014 states were given 30 lakh crore rupees whereas in the last 10 years states were given 120 lakh crore rupees. Tamil Nadu too got 2.5 times more money in this period as compared to the 10 years preceding 2014. For national highway construction, more than three times expenditure was done in the state and 2.5 times more money was spent in the railways sector in the state, he informed.

Lakhs of families in the state are getting free ration, medical treatment and facilities like pucca houses, toilets and piped water.

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, RN Ravi, Chief Minister MK Stalin, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan were among others were present on the occasion.

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