New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, projects worth around Rs 4400 crores in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on Friday.

The projects include laying the foundation stone and inaugurating development projects worth over Rs 2450 crores such as Urban Development Department, Water Supply Department, Road and Transport Department and Mines and Minerals Department.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of PMAY (rural and urban) projects worth around Rs 1950 crores and participated in Gruh Pravesh of around 19,000 houses built under the scheme by handing over keys to beneficiaries of the scheme during the program. He also interacted with the beneficiaries via video link.

Addressing the gathering congratulated the beneficiaries.

He said that for him nation building is an ongoing ‘Maha Yagya’.

He expressed satisfaction at the pace of development in Gujarat under the government formed after the recent election.

He mentioned the recent pro-poor Gujarat Budget of 3 lakh crore.

He praised the state for leading the spirit of ‘priority to the deprived’.

The Prime Minister listed some recent initiatives in the state like 25 lakh Ayushman cards, help to 2 lakh mothers from PM Matru Vandana Scheme, 4 new medical colleges and works worth thousands of crore for modern infrastructure.

This shows, the Prime Minister said, that the double engine government of Gujarat is working with double speed. 

The Prime Minister said that the people have been experiencing unprecedented development in the last 9 years.

He recalled a time when even basic facilities were rare for the citizens. He said that the country is coming out of that despondency.

He said that the government is trying to reach everyone and efforts are on for the 100 percent saturation of benefits of the schemes. “For us, the development of the country is a conviction and a commitment”, the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that the government is striving for the saturation of all government schemes.

This approach by the government, the Prime Minister said, has put an end to corruption and discrimination.

“The true meaning of secularism is when there is no discrimination at all,” the Prime Minister said as he stated that social justice occurs when the government works towards the benefit of everyone in the society.

Informing that roughly 32,000 homes have been completed and handed over to the beneficiaries in the last year, the Prime Minister underlined that the self-confidence of the poor gets a huge boost when they are least worried about the basic necessities of life.

“The country cannot transform its fate and become a developed nation by moving forward on the path of failed policies,” the Prime Minister underlined as he highlighted the differences between the work culture of the present government and the governments of the past.

Throwing light on the statistics of the last decade, the Prime Minister pointed out that roughly 75 percent of homes in rural areas lacked the facility of a toilet even though policies were already in place.

After 2014, the Prime Minister continued, the government did not limit itself to only providing a roof for the poor but turned the homes into a basis for tackling poverty and a medium for strengthening their dignity.

“Under PMAY, the beneficiaries have a say in the construction of houses where the government transfers the financial aid directly into their bank accounts,” the Prime Minister said as he touched upon the geotagging of such houses.

The Prime Minister said that the houses being constructed under the PMAY are a package of many schemes.

This house has a toilet under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Electricity connection under Saubhagya scheme, free LPG connection under Ujjwala scheme, piped wanted under JJM, he said.

He said apart from these things, free medical treatment and free ration are also working as a security shield for the poor. 

The Prime Minister also touched upon women empowerment under PMAY. He informed that in the last 9 years, about 4 crore houses have been handed over to poor families. 70 percent of which are registered in the name of the women.

Noting that the cost of construction of houses under PMAY is several lakhs, the Prime Minister said that crores of women beneficiaries have now become millionaires.

These crores of women have owned any property for the first time.

He congratulated the ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

The Prime Minister said that the government is working keeping in mind the challenges of the future and the growing urbanization in the country.

He mentioned that more than a thousand houses in Rajkot have been constructed using modern technology thereby consuming less time and money, and are equally safe.

He informed that this experiment under the Light House Project has been carried out in 6 cities of the country where technology has helped in building cheaper and modern houses. He also assured that such houses are going to be available to the poor in the coming times.

The Prime Minister also elaborated on the steps to remove the bad practices and cheating in the real estate sector that had caused a lot of hardships for poor and middle-class families. RERA Act has provided legal security to middle-class families for getting the promised facilities when purchasing a house.

He also informed about the unprecedented budget subsidy for housing loans by middle-class families. In Gujarat, 5 lakh families got assistance worth 11 thousand crore. 

The Prime Minister said in the 25 years of Amrit Kaal specially tier-2 and tier-3 will give pace to the economy.

He informed that systems in many cities of Gujarat are being upgraded as per the needs of the future.

He informed that basic facilities are being spruced up in 500 cities under the AMRUT Mission. And 100 cities are getting smart facilities.

“Today, we are giving equal emphasis on Ease of Living and Quality of Life in urban planning,” the Prime Minister said.

He underlined that the metro network in the country is being expanded with the idea that people do not have to spend a lot of time traveling from one place to another.

Noting that the metro is running in 20 cities in the country, the Prime Minister informed that the metro network in the country grew 600 kilometers in the last 9 years from 250 kilometers before 2014.

“Twin cities like Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar are also being connected by trains like Vande Bharat Express today, and the fleet of electric buses is also increasing in many cities of Gujarat.

Speaking about the lack of seriousness for tonnes of municipal waste generated in the country, the Prime Minister informed that waste processing in the country has increased from 14-15 percent in 2014 to 75 percent today.

“If this had happened earlier, then mountains of garbage would not have been standing in our cities today,” Modi said and pointed out that the Government is working on mission mode to eliminate the heaps of garbage in our cities.

“Quality of life in our cities is possible only when we get a clean environment and pure air,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister lauded the water management and water supply model of Gujarat. 

He mentioned 3 thousand kilometer long water main lines and 1.25 lakh kilometer distribution lines taking water to 15 thousand villages and 250 urban areas.

He praised the fervour for Amrit Sarovar in Gujarat.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister urged everyone to maintain this pace of development. “Our resolutions of Amrit Kaal will be fulfilled with Sabka Prayas” Modi concluded.

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, Member of Parliament, Shri C R Patil, and Minister from the Government of Gujarat were present on the occasion among others.