Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering via video conferencing during the foundation laying and inauguration of various projects in Maharashtra.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Slamming the previous government for "lack of vision, planning and slow execution of projects", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his “double-engine” government has "set the course right".
Modi was drawing a comparison among the Congress-led UPA government, the BJP-led NDA, and the erstwhile Democratic Front and Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensations and the Maha Yuti.
Modi's remarks came after he inaugurated and dedicated to the nation various projects in Maharashtra worth over Rs 11,200 crore via video conferencing on Sunday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar attended the mega event in Pune while the PM addressed live from New Delhi.
“Today, Maharashtra needs big goals with new resolutions,” Modi said, emphasising on the need to make cities like Pune a centre of progress and urban development.
The Prime Minister lauded the work done for the expansion of Pune Metro from 2016 till now because of "faster decision-making and removing obstacles".
“The present government has prepared a modern network of metro in Pune while the previous government could barely construct a single metro pillar in 8 years,” he said.
Modi underscored the importance of development-driven governance in ensuring Maharashtra’s progress, emphasising that any disruption in this continuity leads to significant losses for the state.
He highlighted various stalled projects -- from metro initiatives to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and critical irrigation projects for farmers -- which were delayed before the advent of the double-engine government.
Modi reiterated that modernisation should be based on the country’s core values and emphasised that India will modernise and develop while carrying forward its rich heritage.
He said that future-ready infrastructure and the benefits of development reaching every section are important for Maharashtra and underlined that it can become a reality when every section of the society participates in the development of the country.
Laying the foundation stone for the Savitribai Phule Memorial, which will include a skill development center, a library, and other essential facilities. Modi expressed confidence that the memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to the social reform movement and inspire future generations.
The Prime Minister highlighted the immense challenges faced by women in pre-independence India, particularly in accessing education, and praised visionaries like Savitribai Phule for opening the doors of education for women. The Prime Minister noted that despite gaining independence, the country struggled to fully shed the mindset of the past and accused the previous governments of restricting women’s access in many sectors.