STATE TIMES NEWS
MUMBAI: India will soon become the third largest economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.
He was speaking after inaugurating INS Towers, the Indian Newspaper Society’s secretariat in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex. Modi also spoke on how India has become the leader in digital payments.
“There was a time when some politicians used to say that digital transactions were not for India. They had a preconceived notion that modern technology can’t work in this country,” Modi said. “However, the world is witnessing the capabilities of the people of the country. Today, India is creating new records in digital transactions. Due to India’s UPI and modern digital public infrastructure, the ease of living of people has improved, and it has become easier for them to send money across countries,” he said. The country will benefit from the effective work done by the Indian Newspaper Society, Modi said.
“Media makes people aware of their strength,” he said. Media’s natural role is to create discourse, he added. “Before 2014, most people were unaware of the word “startup”, but media made it reach every home,” Modi said.
‘Eight crore jobs created in last 3-4 years; it has silenced those spreading fake narratives’
Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised that creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has “silenced” those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.
Quoting a recent report of Reserve Bank of India on the employment figure, the Prime Minister asserted the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government continues to prioritise stability and growth and added that small and big investors have welcomed the NDA’s third term with enthusiasm. During the event launching projects costing Rs 29,000 crore in road, railway, and port sectors, Modi took a swipe at opposition parties for spreading misinformation on job creation, labelling them as hindrances to progress. “This figure has silenced those spreading fake narrative on jobs,” Modi said in a veiled attack on the opposition that had made unemployment a key issue in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
“Those who spread fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development and enemies of the country’s growth. Their every policy is about betraying youth and stall employment. Now they are getting exposed as people are rejecting their lies,” the PM said.
Modi said skill development and employment are needed in the country and his government is working in this direction.
He said Maharashtra has a glorious history, a capable present and the dream of a prosperous future.
It is the state that has a critical role to play in Viksit Bharat as it has power of industry, agriculture and finance sector.
“My aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital,” he said.
“Our aim is to improve everyone’s standard of living and make quality of life the best. This is why efforts are being made to better the connectivity of areas close to Mumbai,” the PM added.
The ground breaking of infrastructure works come months ahead of the state assembly polls.
The upcoming infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai will boost connectivity of the city with nearby areas, which ensures better facilities as well as safety for women, Modi pointed out.
The expansion of the metro rail network in the metropolis was going on at a rapid pace, rising from just 8 kilometres ten years ago to 80 kilometres now, while work on 200 kilometres is underway, the PM said.
In Maharashtra, the length of national highways has trebled, adding the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, which will act as a major east-west connector in the northern part of the city, was a fine example of balance between conserving nature and development.
The twin tunnels connecting Thane and Borivali will ensure the distance between the two areas will be covered in minutes, the PM said.
The Coastal Road and Atal Setu are now complete, the PM said, and recalled efforts by some to stall the sea bridge.
But now everyone realises how beneficial it is, the PM said about the Atal Setu, the country’s longest sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
Some 20,000 vehicles use it everyday and it is estimated that Rs 20-25 lakh worth of fuel is saved and people take less time to reach Panvel, the PM pointed out.
The transformation of railways is benefitting Mumbai and Maharashtra, he said.
The redevelopment works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Ajni-Nagpur were happening at a rapid pace.
The new platforms at CSMT and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (two of the main junctions of Central Railway in Mumbai), have been inaugurated and will enable the railways to run 24-coach trains, the PM said.
The Centre has also approved the Rs 76000 crore Vadhavan port in Dahanu in Palghar, which will generate 10 lakh jobs, the PM said.