Kochi (Kerala): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that action against corrupt people in the country has resulted in a new polarisation in national politics with certain political groups openly trying to get organised into a unit to save those facing graft charges. The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation various projects including that of the Indian Railways and the Kochi Metro and laid foundation stones for the redevelopment of three Railway stations in Kerala.
The Prime Minister, who arrived here at 4 pm today on a two-day visit to the state, inaugurated the 27-km double line of Indian Railways connecting KuruppantharaKottayam Chingavanam sections completed at a cost of Rs 750 crore. The PM also dedicated to the nation the newly electrified section between KollamPunalur completed at a cost of Rs 76 crore, which will offer a fillip to eco-tourism besides serving as a faster and affordable means of transportation through the picturesque route and flagged off special train services between Kottayam-Ernakulam and KollamPunalur.
Among the railway development projects for Kerala, Modi laid the foundation stone for three station redevelopment projects worth an estimated Rs 1,059 crore.
Also, Modi laid the foundation stone of Kochi Metro Phase- II project and inaugurated phase-1A, the first stretch from SN Junction to Vadakkekotta.
Governor Arif Muhammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also attended the event.
During two days visit to the state, Modi said that corruption was the biggest hurdle in development and interests of the youth. "However, what we see is that as we take action against the corrupt persons, there has emerged a new polarisation in national politics. "To save these corrupt people, certain political groups are openly coming out and trying to get organised into a unit. People of India and Kerala have to be vigilant against such groups," he said. Speaking to a large gathering of supporters outside the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery near here, he further said that people in the state are viewing the BJP with renewed hope as they realise that it is working for change and development in India.
Modi also asserted that the biggest priority of his government is to provide fundamental facilities to every citizen of the country and build modern infrastructure.
The union government is working to provide homes to the poor. Under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana' scheme, two lakh houses have been approved and more than 1.30 lakh have been completed in Kerala, he noted. Modi said the Centre has spent around Rs 1 lakh crore in Kerala on various projects.
"The central government is working to open at least one medical college in every district, and it will hugely benefit the youth of Kerala. To develop modern infrastructure, the BJP government is spending around Rs 1 lakh crore on multiple projects in Kerala," he said.
At 9:30 AM on September 2, the Prime Minister will commission India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi. In what will mark a significant step towards self-reliance in the defence sector, Modi will commission the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier as INS Vikrant.
Designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Vikrant has been built with state-of-the-art automation features and is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India.
The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named after her illustrious predecessor, India's first aircraft carrier which had played a vital role in the 1971 war. It has a large amount of indigenous equipment and machinery, involving major industrial houses in the country as well as over 100 MSMEs. With the commissioning of Vikrant, India will have two operational aircraft carriers, which will bolster the maritime security of the nation.
Thereafter at 1:30 PM tomorrow, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore in Mangaluru. During the event, he will also unveil the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with the colonial past and befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage.
"The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the Phase -II stretch of the Kochi Metro rail project from JLN stadium to Infopark, having a length of 11.2 kilometres and covering 11 stations. The total estimated cost of this project is around Rs. 1,950 crore. The proposed Phase II corridor of the Kochi Metro Rail Project is aimed at catering to the growing transportation needs of Kochi City and is planned in such a way that it connects the District Headquarters, Special Economic Zone and IT Hub of the city with the existing metro rail network," read a statement by Prime Minister's office.
On completion, the combined Phase I and Phase II metro network will link the major residential and commercial hubs in the city with major transit hubs such as railway stations and bus stands, thus reinforcing the concept of multi-modal integration and last-mile connectivity. PM Modi will dedicate to the nation the doubling of the Kuruppanthara-Kottayam-Chingavanam rail section, completed at a cost of nearly Rs.750 Crore. With this, the entire stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru is fully doubled now, promising faster and seamless connectivity.
Significantly, lakhs of devotees bound for Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Shrine can conveniently alight at Kottayam or Chengannur railway station in the doubled section and proceed by road to Pamba. Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation the newly electrified rail section between Kollam - Punalur. The laying of the foundation stone for the redevelopment of three Railway stations in Kerala - Ernakulam Junction, Ernakulam Town and Kollam will be done by PM Modi.
The total estimated cost of these station redevelopment projects is around Rs 1,050 crore. These railway stations will be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and world-class facilities such as dedicated arrival/departure corridors, skywalks, solar panels, sewage treatment plants, energy-efficient lighting, rain-water harvesting and intermodal transport facilities.
Modi will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 3,800 crore in Mangaluru. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the project worth over Rs 280 crore for mechanisation of Berth No. 14 for handling containers and other cargo, undertaken by the New Mangalore Port Authority. The mechanized terminal will increase efficiency and reduce the turnaround time, pre-berthing delay and dwell time in the Port by around 35 per cent, thus giving a boost to the business environment. Phase I of the project has been successfully completed, thereby adding over 4.2 MTPA to the handling capacity, which would further increase to over 6 MTPA by 2025.
He will lay the foundation stone of five projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore, undertaken by the Port. The integrated LPG and Bulk Liquid POL Facility, equipped with state of an art cryogenic LPG storage tank terminal, will be capable of unloading full load VLGC (very large gas carriers) of 45,000 tonnes in a highly efficient manner.
The facility will bolster Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in the region while reinforcing the port's status as one of the top LPG importing ports in the country. Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of projects for the construction of storage tanks and edible oil refinery, construction of bitumen storage and allied facilities and construction of bitumen and edible oil storage and allied facilities.
These projects will improve the turnaround time of bitumen and edible oil vessels and reduce the overall freight cost for trade. Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the development of the Fishing Harbour at Kulai, which will facilitate safe handling of fish catch and enable better prices in the global market.
This work will be undertaken under the umbrella of the Sagarmala programme and will result in significant socio-economic benefits for the fishermen community.
Prime Minister will also inaugurate two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited viz BS VI Upgradation Project and Sea Water Desalination Plant. The BS VI Upgradation Project, worth around Rs 1830 crores, will facilitate the production of ultra-pure environment-friendly BS-VI grade fuel (with sulphur content less than 10 PPM).
The Sea Water Desalination Plant, set up at a cost of around Rs 680 crore, will help reduce dependency on fresh water and ensure regular supply of hydrocarbons and petrochemicals throughout the year. Having a capacity of 30 Million Litres per Day (MLD), the Plant converts seawater into water required for the refinery processes. (With agency inputs)
