“I always try to repay the debt that I owe to Rajkot”: PM Modi in Gujarat

Rajkot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that Rajkot has realized the vision of ‘Mini Japan’ that he saw as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
“When I was the Gujarat CM, I said that Gujarat is becoming mini Japan but at that time so many people made fun of me, but today, you (people) have accomplished it," PM Modi said while addressing a public gathering in Rajkot. The Prime Minister recalled that Rajkot voted for him as MLA for the first time and said that the city has taught him a lot.
“The debt from Rajkot is always there and I always try to reduce that,” he added.
He was speaking after the inauguration of the Rajkot International Airport and multiple development projects worth over Rs 860 crores in Rajkot in Gujarat today.
The projects include Sauni Yojana Link 3 Package 8 and 9, upgradation of Dwarka Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), conservation, restoration and development of Uparkot Fort Phase I and II; construction of a water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and flyover bridge among others.
The Prime Minister also took a walkthrough of the terminal building of the newly inaugurated Rajkot International Airport.
“Now, Rajkot is recognized as the growth engine of Saurashtra. Despite its industry, culture and cuisine, the need for the International Airport was felt which has been met today,” he added.
The PM further expressed his condolences to the families of victims of the natural calamity.
"My thoughts are with those families who had to suffer losses due to natural disasters like cyclone and flood...state government and people together faced this challenges. State government is doing everything possible to bring back normalcy and the centre is providing all the help required to the state government," PM Modi said.
Referring to the airport inaugurated today, the Prime Minister said that apart from ease of travel, industries of the region will be hugely benefited from the airport.
Speaking about the Sauni Yojna under which various projects have been inaugurated today, the Prime Minister said that the completion of projects will lead to water supply for drinking and irrigation to dozens of villages in the region.
In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister said that the central government has worked towards making the lives of every social class and region easier.
“We have guaranteed ‘Sushasan’ or good governance and we are also accomplishing it today”, the Prime Minister said, adding, “Be it the poor, dalits, tribals or the backward class, we have always worked towards improving their lives.”
Underlining that the levels of poverty in the country are reducing at a very fast rate, the Prime Minister cited a recent report which states that 13.5 crore citizens have come out of poverty in the last five years and said that these people are emerging as a neo-middle class in the country.
The Prime Minister dwelled on the middle classes' long pending demand of the past about connectivity.
He listed the steps taken in the last 9 years to improve connectivity.
“In 2014, only 4 cities had Metro Network, today Metro network has reached more than 20 cities in India. Modern trains like Vande Bharat are running on 25 routes; the number of airports have more than doubled from 70 in 2014 during this period. Expansion of air services has given new heights to India’s aviation sector. Indian companies are purchasing aircrafts worth crores of rupees,” the PM said.
He also informed that Gujarat is moving forward in the direction of building aircrafts.
“Ease of living and quality of life is among the top priorities for the government”, the Prime Minister remarked.
Talking about the importance of housing, the Prime Minister said “We took care of the housing needs of the poor and also fulfilled the middle class’s dream of a house.”
The Prime Minister touched upon the fraud that took place in the name of housing and mentioned that the possession of the house was not given for many years during previous governments due to the absence of law.
He further added that it is the present government which enacted the RERA law and safeguarded the interests of the people. “Today, the RERA law is preventing lakhs of people from being robbed of their money”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that in the past inflation rate had touched 10 per cent and the current government kept inflation under control despite the pandemic and the war.
“Today, inflation is increasing at the rate of 25-30 percent in our neighboring countries. But this is not the case in India. We have been trying to control inflation with full sensitivity and will continue to do so in the future”, he said.
Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Member of Parliament, C R Patil, Ministers from Government of Gujarat and Gujarat Legislative Assembly were present on the occasion among others.