“Today’s youth stand on the side of truth; therefore, attempts to mislead them through lies will not succeed,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister made this remark while criticizing Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who has been interacting with students across various parts of the country through the initiative called “Students’ Voice.”
He also proudly noted that India is now ushering in a new era, as everything from chips (semiconductors) to ships is being manufactured domestically.
Projects worth Rs. 35,000 crore: Prime Minister Modi, who on Tuesday inaugurated completed development projects worth a total of Rs. 35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat, also laid the foundation stone for new projects.
As part of the completion of the country’s 2,800-km dedicated freight rail corridor project, the Prime Minister inaugurated a new 326-km route in the western section. He then said:
The 2,800-km dedicated freight rail corridor project is a historic achievement of the 21st century. This stands as proof of how much work-related efficiency in the country has improved over the past 12 years. Recently, the double-decker freight train operated between Mumbai and Vadodara carried in a single trip cargo equivalent to what would otherwise be transported in more than 250 trucks.
Criticism of Congress: At the same time, those who find fault with everything (an indirect reference to Rahul) now have a new issue to talk about. They will begin shouting about what truck drivers will do and what will happen to trucks.
Since 2014, India has produced 50,000 modern railway coaches and 250,000 freight wagons. But under the previous Congress government, even 50,000 toilets could not be built.
Dedicated freight corridors are the lifeline of the country’s rapid growth. It is this modern freight rail infrastructure that is accelerating the nation’s progress. Today, the east-west dedicated freight corridors serve as the backbone of the country’s trade and industry. More than 430 freight trains operate daily on these two corridors.
Attack on Rahul: Across all corners of the country, one can now see those who try to mislead the youth through the ‘voice of lies.’ But today’s youth stand on the side of truth, so they cannot be misled through lies.
Young people have seen how much attention the Central government is giving to sectors such as solar power, wind power, hydropower, and nuclear energy. There is a need for our youth to emerge as experts in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Data centers and AI centers require large amounts of water and electricity to operate. India is preparing the infrastructure needed to emerge as a global power in the AI sector. International agreements have been signed for the procurement of uranium and rare minerals, he said.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated freight train services from New Sanand, New Mahendranagar, New Umbargaon, and Navi Mumbai in Gujarat.
Inauguration of the new BJP office: Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the party’s new district office, built under the name ‘Namo Kamalalayam,’ in Navsari city of South Gujarat.
‘2,800 km dedicated freight rail corridor’
With the dedicated freight rail corridor project spanning 2,800 km now completed, Prime Minister Modi spoke about its benefits, saying, “Earlier, it took a freight train 6.5 hours to cover 100 km. Now it covers it in half an hour. Dedicated freight rail corridors reduce fuel consumption and freight charges, while also saving time. This is also beneficial for the environment. It helps farmers transport their produce to markets quickly.”
Although the idea for this project emerged in 2004, until 2014 nothing happened beyond files moving from one desk to another.
In the previous administration, only one or two new trains would be announced in the budget. Even then, it would take a long time to become operational. Now, new trains are being introduced one after another. This year’s railway budget is Rs. 2.75 lakh crore. This is many times higher than the budget from 12 years ago,” he said.
