‘Expressways, road, rail & air networks fate lines of the nation’ PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun Expressways, road, rail and air networks are the fate lines of a nation which will decide the future of the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor in Dehradun on Tuesday. The 213-kilometre economic corridor built at a cost of about Rs 12,000 crore will cut the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to about 2.5 hours. This economic corridor which also includes Asia’s longest 12-kilometre elevated wildlife corridor, will benefit Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with enhanced connectivity. Addressing the gathering at the Jaswant Ground in Garhi Cantt, he said that like the ‘Bhagya Rekha’ is known to foretell the fate of a person in palmistry, expressways, roads, rail, airway and waterways are the fate lines of a nation. Stressing on the importance of infrastructure he said, “While spending on infrastructure stodd at less than Rs two lakh crore per year before 2014, it has now increased to over Rs 12 lakh crore annually. Infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 2.25 lakh crore are currently underway in Uttarakhand alone,” he said. Citing recent developments in the Delhi-Western UP-Uttarakhand region, the PM noted the expansion of Delhi Metro, the launch of Metro services in Meerut, the inauguration of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Rail, the start of the Noida International Airport and MRO facility, all within a short span of time. “Imagine the scale at which infrastructure is being built across the entire country, what is happening in this one small region is just a glimpse of that,” Modi remarked. Elaborating on the benefits of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, the PM said that in addition to significant reduction in travel time and costs for commuters, leading to substantial fuel savings and lower freight charges, farmers and animal herders will also benefit as their produce will reach larger markets sooner. He observed that the corridor, which passes through Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli and Saharanpur, is poised to revitalise these cities in UP as well. Emphasising the tourism potential of the new expressway, the Prime Minister noted that Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie and the Char Dham circuit will all be more accessible. He added that Uttarakhand is increasingly becoming a premier destination for winter tourism, winter sports and destination weddings. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari spoke about the government’s focus on economic corridors across the nation and gave details of the various infrastructural projects underway in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also addressed the event which was virtually attended by the Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and her UP counterpart Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, Modi offered prayers at the Dat Kali Mandir at the border of UP and Uttarakhand in the presence of UP Governor Anandiben Patel and CM Yogi Adityanath. He took out a roadshow on a stretch about 12 kilometres long to reach the venue of his public address.
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