Surat will emerge among safest, most convenient diamond trading hubs: Modi

He said Surat has progressed rapidly over the last 20 years while recalling the struggle to get an airport for the city when he was the chief minister of Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Surat will emerge among the world’s safest and most convenient diamond trading hubs once the Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City project is completed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Surat. (PTI)

He said Surat has progressed rapidly over the last 20 years while recalling the struggle to get an airport for the city when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. Modi said his government was tired while explaining the need for setting up an airport in Surat to the then Congress-led government at the Centre.

“Today, many people come and go from the airport here and it has helped in the city’s development. This is the benefit of the double engine government,” he said, referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party governments at both Centre and in the state.

Modi was speaking after inaugurating the Phase-I of road infrastructure works and the main entrance of DREAM City. He also laid foundation stones and inaugurated projects worth over ₹3400 crores in Surat

The DREAM City project has been launched to meet the growing demand for commercial and residential space to complement Surat’s growth.

Modi spoke about the infrastructure development and said the road connectivity from the city to the airport reflects the culture, prosperity, and modernity of Surat.

He laid the foundation stone for a Biodiversity Park being built over 87 hectares and inaugurated Khoj Museum at Science Centre in Surat for children.

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Gujarat, said 125000 people from Surat are among over 40 million people, who have got free medical treatment under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. He added over 3.2 million patients from Gujarat have overall benefitted from the scheme.