PM lays Foundation Stone: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth more than Rs 4850 crores at Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli today.
The projects include the dedication of NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute in Silvassa, and the dedication and laying the foundation stone of 96 projects such as government schools, Government Engineering College in Daman, beautification, strengthening and widening of various roads, fish market and shopping complex and augmentation of water supply scheme in the region among others. The Prime Minister also handed over the house keys to beneficiaries of PMAY Urban from Diu and Silvassa.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also visited the NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute in Silvassa where he was accompanied by The Administrator of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, Shri Praful Patel. He inaugurated the institute and paid floral tributes at the statue of Lord Dhanvantari.
The Prime Minister inspected the model of the college campus and walked through the Anatomy Museum and Dissection Room in the Academic Block. The Prime Minister also took a walkthrough of the Central Library and signed the visitor’s book. He proceeded towards the amphitheatre where he interacted with construction labourers.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness about witnessing the development journey of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. He noted the growing cosmopolitanism of Silvassa as it is home to people from every corner of the country. He said, noting the people’s love for tradition and modernity both, the government is working with full dedication for the development of the Union Territory.
He said in the last few years, a lot of work has been done on the physical and social infrastructure in the UT with an allocation of 5500 crores. He talked about LED-lit streets, door-to-door waste collection and 100 percent waste processing.
He also praised the new Industrial Policy of the state as a means to increase industry and employment in the UT. “Today I got the opportunity to start fresh projects of 5000 crore”, he said. These projects are related to health, housing, tourism, education and urban development. “They will improve ease of living, tourism, transportation and business, ” he added.
Referring to the projects of today, he expressed delight that the foundation stones of several projects were laid down by the Prime Minister himself. He lamented the fact that for large periods of time, the government projects for the development of the country either remained stuck, were abandoned or led astray, sometimes to the extent that the foundation stone itself would turn to debris and the projects remained incomplete.
But in the last 9 years, the Prime Minister emphasized that a new working style has been developed and the work culture has been introduced. He underlined that the present government strives to complete the projects on time, and also moves on to other development work immediately after completion. The Prime Minister said the projects of today are an example of this work culture and congratulated everyone for the development works.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the central government is moving with the mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas”. He said that the balanced development of every region is a huge priority. The Prime Minister criticised a long-running tendency of viewing development from the prism of vote bank politics. This led to the deprivation of tribal and border areas. Fishermen were left to their fate and Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli paid a heavy price for this, said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that even after decades of independence, the regions of Daman, Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli did not have a single medical college and the youth had to travel to other regions of the country to become doctors. He pointed out that the number of youth from the Adivasi community who got such opportunities was next to zero, while those who ruled the nation for decades paid no heed to the wants and aspirations of the people from this region.
The Prime Minister highlighted that Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli got its first National Academic Medical Organisation or NAMO Medical College only due to the service-oriented approach and dedication of the present government which came into power after 2014. “Now every year, approximately 150 youth from the region will get a chance to study medicine”, the Prime Minister said as he informed that roughly 1000 doctors will be produced from the region in the near future. The Prime Minister also mentioned a news report of a girl who is studying medicine in her first year who had said that she is the first to do so not only in her family but in the entire village.
The Prime Minister said that a sense of service marks the people of the area and remembered the proactive help that the local medical students provided during the pandemic. The Prime Minister said that he mentioned the Village Adoption Programme of the local student was mentioned by him in Mann Ki Baat. The Prime Minister said that the medical college will reduce the pressure on local medical facilities. “A new 300-bed hospital is under construction and permission has been granted for a new Ayurvedic hospital”, he added.
The Prime Minister recalled his days as a Chief Minister and said that he started science education in schools in the tribal areas. He also addressed the issue of education not being in the mother tongue. “Now the option of even medical and engineering education is available in local languages which will greatly help the local students”, he said.
“The dedication of the engineering college today will give an opportunity to 300 students every year to study engineering”, the Prime Minister said. He expressed happiness that major educational institutions are opening campuses in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. He mentioned NIFT satellite campus in Daman, Gujarat National Law University campus in Silvassa, IIIT Vadodara campus in Diu. “I give assurance to every student that our government will leave no stone unturned for their bright future”, the Prime Minister promised.
Recalling his last visit to Silvassa when the Prime Minister had talked about the five parameters of development or ‘Panchdhara’ namely the education of children, source of income for the youth, healthcare for elders, irrigation facilities for farmers, and redressal for the common citizens.
The Prime Minister said that he wants to add another parameter to the above-mentioned referring to the pucca houses for the women beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna. The Prime Minister informed that the government has provided pucca houses to more than 3 crore poor families in the country in the past years where more than 15 thousand houses were built and handed over by the government itself. The Prime Minister noted that more than 1200 families have got their own houses here today and the women are given an equal share in the houses under PM Awas Yojana.
“The government has turned thousands of women from Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli into homeowners”, the Prime Minister said as he emphasized that the cost of each house built under the PM Awas Yojana is several lakh rupees which makes these women ‘Lakhpati Didi’.
Referring to the International Year of Millets, the Prime Minister mentioned local millets like Nagali and Nachni and said that the government is promoting local Shri Anna in various forms. The Prime Minister mentioned the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat next Sunday. “Mann Ki Baat has become a very good platform to highlight the efforts of the people of India and the specialities of India. Like you, I too am looking forward to the 100th episode”, he said.
“I am seeing Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli as a bright spot of coastal tourism”, said the Prime Minister underlining the potential of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli to emerge as major tourist destinations. This is all the more important, he said, at the time when the government is working to make India the world’s foremost tourist destination.
He said that two seafronts under the name of Nani Daman Marine Overview (NaMo) Path will give a push to tourism. He said that a new tent city is emerging in the beach area. Furthermore, the Prime Minister continued, Khanvel Riverfront, Dudhani Jetty, eco-resort and Coastal Promenade will increase the attractiveness for tourists, once completed.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister underlined that the country is laying emphasis not on ‘Tushtikaran’ or appeasement but on ‘Santushtikaran’ or satisfaction. “Prioritizing the needs of the underprivileged has become the hallmark of good governance in the last 9 years”, the Prime Minister remarked as he highlighted that the central government is working at a fast pace to provide facilities to every deprived section of society and every deprived region of the country.
Corruption and discrimination are eliminated when the government approaches the doorsteps of the citizens and the saturation of schemes is achieved. Shri Modi expressed delight that Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli are very close to saturation with various schemes of the central government. “The resolution of Viksit Bharat and prosperity will be achieved with ‘Sabka Prayas’”, the Prime Minister concluded.
The Administrator of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep, Shri Praful Patel, Member of Parliament from Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Kaushambi, Smt Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar and Vinod Sonkar respectively were present on the occasion among others.
