Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore in poll-bound Uttarakhand on Saturday. He also inspected the models of the projects, including that of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor which will be built at a cost of around Rs 8,300 crore.

Addressing a rally at Parade Ground in Dehradun to kickstart the BJP’s campaign in the state’s imminent Assembly election, PM Modi said, “These projects will help make this Uttarakhand’s decade. In the last five years, the Centre has approved more than Rs 1 lakh crore for the development of Uttarakhand.”

He added, “Today, India is moving forward with the intention of investing more than Rs 100 lakh crore in modern infrastructure.”

DELHI-DEHRADUN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Speaking on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway or economic corridor, PM Modi said, “Today, I am very happy that the foundation stone of this project has been laid. When it is ready, the time taken to travel from Delhi to Dehradun will be almost halved.”

The expressway will reduce the distance between the two cities from 248 km at present to 180 km.

COMPARISON WITH PREVIOUS GOVT

At the rally, PM Modi also claimed that the central government in the years 2007-2014 had only built 288 kilometres of national highways worth Rs 600 in Uttarakhand.

“Our government in its seven years has constructed national highways of more than 2,000 km worth Rs 12,000 crore in the state,” he said.

PM Modi added, “Our mountains and culture are not only our faith but also the fortresses of our country’s security. We prioritise ease of living for people living in the mountains. Unfortunately, it was nowhere in the policy strategy of those who remained in power for decades.”

OTHER PROJECTS

The 120 mw Vyasi hydro-electricity project, a 38-km long stretch between Devprayag and Shrikot on NH-58 and a widened 33 km stretch between Brahmapuri and Kaudiyala on Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway were among the other crucial projects inaugurated by PM Modi on Saturday.

He also announced that the services of three new medical colleges would soon be available in the state.

The Uttarakhand Assembly election will be held early next year.