‘Oppn mocked me, I decided not to respond but finish govt’s 100-day agenda: Modi
PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth over ₹8,500 crore including the first ‘Vande Metro’, now renamed as Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, between Ahmedabad and Bhuj
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Opposition mocked him in the first 100 days of his third term and he decided not to respond to any insult but to ensure completing the government’s agenda for 100 days as promised by him to the people of India during the elections.
“In the fist 100 days of my third term, they started making fun of me, mocked me, made up all kind of stories. People began wondering why Modi is silent, why is he not responding… I had promised during elections that the first 100 days will be dedicated to taking crucial decisions. I decided not to respond to any insult but to ensure completing the government’s agenda for 100 days,” Modi said, addressing a gathering at the GMDC ground in Ahmedabad.
Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth over ₹8,500 crore including the country’s first ‘Vande Metro’, now renamed as Namo Bharat Rapid Rail, between Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
This marked his first visit to Gujarat since taking oath for his third term as Prime Minister.
“In the last 100 days, work on projects worth ₹15 lakh crore has started,” he told the crowd. He said that he has left no stone unturned, be it India or abroad. He said that he dedicated the first 100 days towards formulating policies and taking decisions towards public welfare and national interest despite facing insult from the Opposition.
He added that some people are filled with negativity targeting India’s unity and integrity and want to divide the country and assured the people that the government is focused on improving people’s lives.
He said the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail will prove a new milestone in India’s urban connectivity. “[It] is going to provide a lot of convenience to our middle-class families who travel from one city to another in the country every day. In future, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail will connect many cities in the country,” he said.
In addition to the Bhuj-Ahmedabad route, Modi also flagged off several other Vande Bharat trains on key routes, including Kolhapur to Pune, Pune to Hubballi, Nagpur to Secunderabad, Agra Cantt to Banaras, and Durg to Visakhapatnam. He also flagged off the first 20-coach Vande Bharat train from Varanasi to Delhi.
“In the last 100 days, dozens of projects related to rail, road, port, airport and metro have been approved. The speed with which the network of Vande Bharat trains has been expanded in these 100 days is unprecedented... One new Vande Bharat train has been started every week in the last 15 weeks,” he said.
Recounting that a promise was made, during the elections, to the country to build 3 crore new houses, Modi said that work was rapidly progressing in this direction. Modi also handed over keys to beneficiaries of state-completed houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), both in urban and rural segments.
“Today marks a special occasion for thousands of families in Gujarat as they move into their new homes. Many others have received the first instalment towards their pucca houses. I hope they will celebrate all the upcoming festivals in the comfort of their new homes. My heartfelt congratulations go out to the women in whose names these homes have been registered,” he said.
He added that thousands of families in Jharkhand too were beneficiaries of new pucca houses.
Talking about the recent challenges faced by Gujarat, Modi expressed deep concern over the devastating floods triggered by unprecedented rainfall. “This year, multiple regions of Gujarat experienced heavy downpours simultaneously. For the first time, we witnessed such intense rainfall over such a vast area in a short span of time... Unfortunately, we lost several lives as a result. Both the state and central governments are doing everything in their power to provide relief to those affected. For those receiving treatment, I pray for a swift recovery,” he added.
Recalling the big decision taken regarding the health of the poor and the middle class a few days ago, Modi reminded of his promise of providing free treatment worth ₹5 lakh to all elderly people above 70 years of age. He said that the sons and daughters of the middle class will not have to worry about the treatment of their parents.
Drawing attention to the significant decisions taken for the employment and self-employment of youth as well as their skill development in the last 100 days, Modi mentioned the announcement of a special PM package worth ₹2 lakh crore which will benefit more than 4 crore youth.
He stated that the government will also pay the first salary for the first job in companies if they hire the youth. He also mentioned increasing the limit of Mudra loan from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh.
Reflecting on the women empowerment initiatives, Modi recalled the guarantee of creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis. He said that their numbers have reached 1 crore in the last few years while 11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis have been created in the nation in the first one hundred days of the government. In his speech, he also touched upon the recent decisions taken by the government in the interest of oilseed farmers, so they get a higher price than the increased MSP.
Highlighting that the people of Gujarat understand the value of time, the Prime Minister exclaimed the current time period was the Golden Period or the Amrit Kaal of India. He exhorted the people to make India developed in the next 25 years and Gujarat had a very big role to play in this.
“Gujarat has become the manufacturing hub of the country today. It is also one of the most well connected states of India. The day is not far when Gujarat will give India its first Made-in-India aircraft C-295,” he said.
Tata group in partnership with Airbus has set up a manufacturing facility in Vadodara where they will build C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.