Aizwal (Mizoram) [India], September 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dedicated Mizoram’s first railway line, the Bairabi-Sairang express to the nation, highlighting how the line will be a “lifeline of transformation” by helping people avail better services and local businesses will get access to the rest of the country.
“This is not just a railway connection, but it is a lifeline of transportation. It will revolutionise the lives and livelihoods of people of Mizoram. Farmers and businesses of Mizoram can reach more markets across the nation,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi who addressed the gathering in Aizwal from the Lengpui airport due to adverse weather apologised for being present at the inauguration venue.
He began his address saying, “I bow to the Supreme God Pathian, who watches over this beautiful land of the Blue Mountains.
“I am here at Mizoram’s Lengpui airport, due to bad weather. I am sorry I cannot join you in Aizwal. But I can feel your love and affection from this medium. Friends, whether it is the freedom movement or the task of nation building, the people of Mizoram have always come forward with courage and dedication. The ideals of great personalities like Lalnu Ropuiliani and Pasaltha Khuangchera continue to inspire not only Mizoram, but the entire nation,” PM Modi said.
Calling the inauguration of the railway line a “historic day,” PM Modi said, “This is a historic day, particularly for the people of Mizoram. From today, Aizwal will be on India’s railway map. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to lay the foundation stone for the Aizwal railway line. Today we proudly dedicate it to the people of the nation.”
He further praised the engineers and the spirit of the workers which braved the challenging Himalayan terrain to construct multiple bridges and tunnels which ultimately connected Mizoram to Delhi with rail.
“The skill of our engineers and the spirit of our workers made this possible. Friends, our hearts have aleways been directly connected with each other, now for the first time, Sairang in Mizoram will be connected directly with Delhi by the Rajdhani express,” he said.
“People will be able to access more options for education and healthcare. This will also create opportunities in tourism, transport and hospitality sectors,” he added.
Further, the Prime Minister said that Mizoram is playing an important role in India’s development journey. “This is a historic day for the nation, particularly for the people of Mizoram,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said the state will play a major role in India’s ‘Act East’ policy, highlighting the Kaladan multimodal transit project and new railway lines that will connect Mizoram with Southeast Asia.
He added that the Northeast is fast becoming a major hub for entrepreneurship, with 4,500 startups and 25 incubators already operating in the region.
Taking aim at “certain political parties” for doing vote bank politics and only focusing on places which will have more seats in the Lok Sabha, which led to the northeast states being ignored.
“For a long time, some political parties in the country practised vote bank politics. Their focus was always on places which had more votes and seats. The entire northeast including states like Mizoram suffered greatly because of this attitude. But our approach is very different. Those who were earlier neglected are at the forefront now. Those who were marginalised are the mainstream now,” he said.
“From this day forward, Aizawl will proudly find its place on India’s railway map…Despite numerous challenges, including the difficult terrain, the Bairabi-Sairang Rail Line has now become a reality, a testament to perseverance, determination, and the collective will to progress,”PM Modi said.
The Bairabi-Sairang has 45 tunnels spanning 51 km and 45 bridges, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
During the inauguration, Minister Vaishnaw highlighted how under PM Modi’s leadership, the budget for railways in northeast has increased five-fold.
“Before 2014, the budget for railway for northeast was only 2000 crore, Modi ji increased in five times to 10,000 crore. That is the act east policy of Modi ji. Today railway projects of 77,000 crore are undergoing now,” Vaishnaw told during the inauguration program.
Apart from the railway line, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of multiple road projects. It includes Aizawl Bypass Road, Thenzawl-Sialsuk Road and Khankawn-Rongura Road.
PM Modi will be visiting five states, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar from 13th to 15th September, to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 71,850 crore. (ANI)
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