Gurugram (Haryana) | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on opposition Congress and its allies saying that they are full of negativity, as he promised to double the pace of implementation of infrastructure projects to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Inaugurating the 19km-long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway that will cut travel time between Delhi and adjoining business hub in Gurugram, he said the astonishing pace of starting and completing infra projects has given Congress and its 'ghamandia gathbandan' or INDI-alliance 'sleepless nights', as they are used to only tom-toming projects whose foundation stones were laid with no completion in sight.
Detailing the pace of his government's approach to infrastructure projects, the Prime Minister said he has laid the foundation stone or inaugurated projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore in less than three months of the current calendar year.
Earlier Modi opened the Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway which has been built at a cost of Rs 4,100 crore. The total length of Dwarka Expressway is 29 km being developed at an investment of Rs 9,000 crore.
Dwarka Expressway is India's first elevated 8-lane access control urban expressway which is part of the Rs 60,000 crore highway development plan in the NCR to decongest the national capital.
The Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway includes two packages of 10.2-km Delhi-Haryana Border to Basai Rail-over-Bridge (ROB) and 8.7-km Basai ROB to Kherki Daula.
Alongside the Dwarka expressway, he also inaugurated and laid foundation stone of Rs 1 lakh crore-worth National Highway projects across the country and said the implementation speed of infrastructure projects will be accelerated manifold in the next five years to make India the world's third largest economy.
Addressing an event after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 114 National Highway (NH) projects, Modi said the nation has taken another big and important step towards modern connectivity.
He said the Dwarka Expressway will change the travel experience between Delhi and Haryana forever and "will shift gear not just in the vehicles but also in the lives of the people of the region".
Modi also took a dig at Congress, saying the opposition party and its 'Ghamandiya' alliance has lost its sleep, seeing the speed of implementation of projects.
"Development works of lakhs of crores is giving problems to Congress and its 'Ghamandia gathbandhan'. They have lost their sleep... They fail to comprehend how development work can be done so fast. They have lost the courage to debate on development issues...," Modi said, adding in the last 10 years the country has changed but they are still looking through the glass of negativity.
"Negativity and only negativity has become the character of Congress and its allies," he said.
Modi stressed that he wants everything on a large scale, with great speed to achieve the target of making India a developed nation by 2047.
"All of you know and understand me well. I cannot think small, nor do I dream small, nor do I make small resolutions. Whatever I want, I want it big! Whatever I want, I want it at a fast pace! By 2047, I want to see my country as a 'Viksit Bharat'," he said.
Highlighting that the country has moved from 11th position in 2014 to become the fifth largest economy now, Modi said the fast development of infrastructure will help India soon become the third largest economy in the world.
"The 21st Century India is India of big vision and big goals”, the Prime Minister said, adding that the country can not compromise on speed of development.
The Prime Minister noted that expressway projects would open opportunities for rural India and create numerous employment opportunities.
Modi also asserted that his government does not work with elections in mind and added that development work continues whether elections are being held or not.
"Earlier, infrastructure was announced to win the elections. Now, in elections, the focus is on the completion of infrastructure projects. This is the NewIndia," he said.
Modi also emphasized the link between infrastructure development and poverty alleviation, highlighting how improved roads and digital connectivity in rural areas create new opportunities for villagers.
He noted the emergence of new possibilities in rural India, driven by digital infrastructure and access to essential services like healthcare and education.
"Initiatives like this have helped in pulling 25 crore Indians out of poverty in the last 10 years," Modi said.
Talking about 114 projects, the Prime Minister said these development projects are from across the four regions of the country. Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in South; Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in North; Bengal and Bihar in East; Maharashtra, and Rajasthan in West India.
These projects include an increase of 540 kilometer in Amritsar Bhatinda Jamnagar Corridor and development of Bengaluru Ring Road. The ring road in Bengaluru will ease traffic in the IT hub, he said.
"Earlier there were delays, now there are deliveries. Earlier there was delay, now there is development," Modi said.
He said that focus is on to create a 9,000 KM high speed corridor out of which 4,000 KM is already constructed. Metro reached 21 cities as compared to 5 cities in 2014.
"This work is done with the vision of development. These things happen when the intentions are right. This pace of development will increase manifold in the next 5 years," the Prime Minister said.
