Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from a large gathering at the 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat' event in Vadodara on Tuesday. The Prime Minister also held a mega show in the city and dedicated three key sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), marking the completion of a major phase of India's dedicated freight infrastructure. The three sections -- Sanand (North)-Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) -- together cover 326 route kilometres and have been developed at a cost of over Rs 20,700 crore.
The Prime Minister also addressed the Gen Z in the city and said this is a celebration of growth and partnership involving colleagues working across diverse fields; everything is coming together here. "I have come among you today to further accelerate the journey towards a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India)," he added. During the address, he also took a sharp dig at the previous governments over the prolonged delay in implementing the Dedicated Freight Corridor project, saying the ambitious initiative remained stuck in files for years despite being conceived as early as 2004. Addressing the 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat' event in Vadodara, Modi said his visit was aimed at giving further momentum to India's journey towards becoming a developed nation. He described the gathering as a celebration of growth and partnership, bringing together people working across different sectors.
PM Modi recalls years of delay in freight corridor project
The Prime Minister highlighted the long gap between the conception of the Dedicated Freight Corridor and the actual progress on the ground. He said the idea was first proposed in 2004, while a special company was established in 2006 to undertake the project. Taking a swipe at the pace of work during the earlier period, PM Modi pointed out that the project had remained largely confined to government files for years.
"Those of you who are young here today, when this idea was first conceived, many of you were probably not even born yet," PM Modi said. He further criticised the bureaucratic delays that, according to him, prevented the project from moving forward at the required pace. “Until 2014, the file was just there. It went from here to there; the files were travelling on the table,” PM Modi said.
'Not even one kilometre' completed in 7-8 years
Modi said the scale of the delay could be gauged from the fact that not even a single kilometre of the freight corridor had been completed during the seven or eight years following the project's conception. "The truth is that for seven or eight years, not even one kilometre of the freight corridor was completed," PM Modi said.
He used the example to contrast the pace of work under his government with what he described as the slow functioning of previous administrations. "If they had run the country like that, I don’t know if three or four generations would have passed and it still wouldn’t have happened", he added.
PM Modi says project gained momentum after 2014
PM Modi credited his government with giving the long-pending project a fresh push after he became Prime Minister in 2014. Recalling his political journey from Gujarat to Delhi, he said the experience and lessons he received from the people of the state shaped his approach after taking charge at the Centre. "In 2014 onwards, you sent me to Delhi. This land taught me what you taught me, and I went to Delhi. We got there and immediately gave this work momentum," he added.
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