Mumbai : Stressing on the importance of port sector infrastructure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that port infrastructure needs to be strengthened to boost the economy of the country.
Modi was on a day’s visit to the financial capital, where he laid the foundation stone of a fourth container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the proposed memorial for Dr B R Ambedkar at Indu Mills compound. He also laid the foundation stone for two new Metro lines.
Congratulating Union Minister of Roads, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari on speedy initiatives on infrastructure in the country, Modi said, “If you see any developing country, the port sector will be vibrant. India too needs to strengthen its port sector. I compliment Nitin Gadkari, in just 15 months he has initiated various programmes and given strength and speed to the port and road sector.”
Modi also took a potshot at the previous government that the daily per kilometer construction of roads was at a low during the UPA government. “Now, everyday more than 15 kms of road is being made in the country. For development, better infrastructure is a must. When roads are made, money automatically starts flowing. This is the strength of roads,” PM Modi said after the inauguration of fourth container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) at a gathering at Bandra Kurla Complex. He also commended the speed at which the project reports of the Mumbai Metro were prepared. “I would also like to congratulate Devendra Fadnavis for making the DPR (Detailed Project Report) of the Metro within four months.
He added that two sectors – coastal and space – are going to be important in the 21st century. He said, “Be it space or sea, India is moving at a quick pace.”
Integrated Transport
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also said the public transport system in the country’s financial capital must be integrated to turn it into a smart city and an international financial hub, adds PTI
“If Mumbai has to become a smart city and international financial hub, its public transport should be smart,” Fadnavis said. He was speaking at an event where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of two Metro corridors – Andheri East-Dahisar East and Dahisar-DN Nagar. Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Santosh Gangwar, RPI chief Ramdas Athawle, Governor Vidyasagar Rao, state planning body MMRDA commissioner UPS Madan were also present.
“Today nearly one crore population of Mumbai is using the public transport. In the last 10 years, due to the lack of transport facilities, use of private vehicles increased by 10 percent, so the congestion increased….Our government intends to create a strong network of public transport,” Fadnavis said.
The government intends to create a Metro network of 108 km by 2019, he said. “Apart from Metro, we have also got the MUTP phase 3 for increasing the suburban railway network, which has been sanctioned by the Centre. We are also creating elevated corridors and all these will be integrated,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said the Metros, monorails, railways, coastal road and bus transport will all be integrated in a way that commutation in Mumbai and the surrounding Mumbai Metropolitan Region will be hassle-free and can be done in one hour between two points.
A single-ticket system would be introduced, he said.
As per the 2019 prices, the estimated cost of the 16.5 km Andheri East-Dahisar East elevated Metro corridor is around Rs 6,208 crore, while the 18.6 km Dahisar-DN Nagar corridor will cost Rs 6,410 crore, including land acquisition and taxes.
The work of both the projects is expected to start in March 2016 and to be complete by March 2019.
