Lucknow/Sambhal (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 14,000 projects across Uttar Pradesh worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore at the fourth ground-breaking ceremony here on Monday for investment proposals received during the UP Global Investors Summit.
The projects relate to sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy, food processing, housing and real estate, hospitality and entertainment, and education.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event. Several industrialists, representatives of top global and Indian companies, and many foreign envoys also attended the programme.
Earlier in the day, PM also laid the foundation stone of the Shri Kalki Dham temple here in Uttar Pradesh
Seeking the blessings of seers and religious leaders present at the programme, Prime Minister Modi also said, “God has given me the duty to rebuild a ‘rashtriya rupi mandir’ (the temple that is India).”
While on one hand places of pilgrimage are being developed, on the other, cities are getting hi-tech infrastructure, he said and added that today, if temples are being built, new medical colleges are also coming up across the country.
“Today, our ancient sculptures are also being brought back from abroad and a record number of foreign investments are also coming. This change is proof that the wheel of time has turned and a new era is knocking at our doors. It is time that we welcome this with an open heart,” Modi said.
Modi, who was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Kalki Dham Peethadheeshwar Acharya Pramod Krishnam, also mentioned to the gathering that Kalki is the pioneer of change. The Shri Kalki Dham is being constructed by the Shri Kalki Dham Nirman Trust whose chairman is Krishnam.
Meanwhile, speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the fourth edition of the Ground Breaking Ceremony (GBC@IV) organised at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, PM Modi stated: “I have full faith in the power of UP and the hard work of the double engine government. I especially congratulate Yogiji. Every Indian is proud that UP has decided to become a trillion dollar economy. My advice to all the political parties of the country would be to leave politics and learn from UP and then enter the field with a similar resolve.”
He also watched glimpses of the changing Uttar Pradesh through films screened at the event.
Emphasising that it is a time of infinite opportunities for industries in UP, he remarked, “Exports from UP have doubled in the last few years. UP is the state with the highest number of expressways and international airports in the country. The country’s first rapid rail is running here. A large network of Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors passes through UP. The river network is also being used for cargo ships. Transportation has become cheaper.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that seven years ago such a favourable environment for investments and creation of jobs was unimaginable because of a high crime rate, riots and snatchings etc across the state. “Today investment worth lakhs of crores is coming into Uttar Pradesh. Work is starting on thousands of projects in Uttar Pradesh. These industries are going to change the face of UP. In the last seven years, a red carpet culture has replaced the red tape culture”, he asserted.
The Prime Minister said that crime rate has dropped significantly in Uttar Pradesh and business culture has expanded with building of trust in the state’s capabilities. “There is optimism among all investors who have come here, which is a very positive sign. The double engine government has shown that if one has the intention to bring about change, no one can stop it from happening.”
The Prime Minister said that there is unprecedented positivity about India all over the world. Referring to the visit to Qatar and UAE, PM Modi said that every country is confident about India’s development. “The whole world is considering India as a guarantee of better returns. It is often seen that when elections are near, people avoid new investments. But, even that belief has fallen apart in Uttar Pradesh today with investors around the world reposing their trust in the government’s policies and stability.”
The Prime Minister said that for many decades since independence, the political dispensation’s approach towards development was selective, which left a sizable population of the country yearning for basic facilities. “But, the double engine government has changed the old political thinking. We are engaged in making the life of every citizen easier. If life becomes easier, investing and doing business will also be easier”, he remarked.
The Prime Minister added further that providing benefits of government schemes to all the needy people cutting across all sections of society, is social justice and secularism in the true sense, pointing out that earlier, people faced discrimination due to rampant corruption. “This is the social justice that JP and Lohia had dreamed of”, he stated.
The Prime Minister also discussed in detail the merits of Lakhpati Didi Yojana, PM Swanidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and said that this has increased the purchasing power of the rural and urban middle class. He described MSME as the strength of UP. He also discussed ODOP and PM Shram Samman Yojana, mentioning his fondness for the toys of Kashi, his parliamentary constituency.
The Prime Minister said that Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become a tourism hub. “Lakhs of people are coming to Kashi and Ayodhya. This is a golden opportunity for industries related to the tourism sector. The upcoming Kumbh in 2025 will be a very important occasion for the economy of UP”, he said.
Discussing solar energy, the Prime Minister said that PM Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme will not only provide free electricity to the countrymen, but will also become a means of earning additional electricity. Lakhs of employment opportunities will be created in this sector in installation, maintenance and supply chain.
The Prime Minister added: “Just a few days ago, our government has awarded Bharat Ratna to the messiah of farmers, Chaudhary Charan Singh. Unfortunately, Congress and its allies do not understand this. Congressis consider only one family to have the right on Bharat Ratna. Baba Saheb was not given Bharat Ratna for decades. These people have been giving Bharat Ratna only to their families.”
The Prime Minister also called upon the entrepreneurs associated with food processing sector to take the pledge to make ‘Make in India’ products available on every dining table in the world, with special focus on the super food millets. “There is a good opportunity for investment in this super food. The government wants to make small farmers a big market force. As much as the farmer and the soil will benefit, the enterprises related to food processing will also benefit through its cultivation.