New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uttarakhand  Dehradun today and laid the foundation stone for multiple projects worth Rs. 18,000 crore along with Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, reported ANI. 


PM Modi also kickstarted BJP's political campaign for Uttarakhand Assembly Election today. 





Ahead of Prime Minister Modi's address, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that some people are trying to ruin BJP's name & twist things in the name of politics but till the time this current govt stays in power, they can't do anything. He said that they need to beware of such elements.


PM Modi addressed the event and attacked the opposition. Here are some key points of his speech:



  • PM Modi said that in the last 5 years, the Centre has approved more than Rs 1 lakh crores for the development of Uttarakhand. More than Rs 18,000 crores have been invested in today's developmental projects.

  • Talking further about the development projects, PM Modi said, "Today, India is moving forward with the intention of investing more than Rs 100 lakh crores in modern infrastructure."

  • The Prime Minister further said that he is very happy that the foundation stone of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been laid. When it is ready, the time taken to travel from Delhi to Dehradun will be almost halved.

  • Taking a jibe at opposition, PM Modi said," Our mountains & culture are not only our faith but also the fortresses of our country's security. We prioritize ease of living for people living in the mountains. Unfortunately, it was nowhere in the policy strategy of those who remained in power for decades."

  • Speaking about the work done by his government in Uttarakhand, PM Modi said that between 2007 & 2014, the central govt built only 288kms of National Highways worth Rs 600 cr in Uttarakhand, whereas the BJP government in its 7 years has constructed National Highways of more than 2,000kms worth Rs 12,000 cr in the state.

  • Slamming the opposition further, PM Modi said that there was an attempt by some political parties to give something to only one section who belonged to their religion and caste which they later expected to convert into a vote bank.

  • PM further said that these political parties took another approach which was not to make the people strong. The basis of this distorted politics was that do not fulfill the needs of the people, keep them dependent.

  • PM said, "Previous govt didn't work on the infrastructure of the hilly border areas as sincerely as they should've. It was as if they'd vowed to demoralise the Army at all levels. We've implemented one rank, one pension, given modern weapons, & a befitting reply to terrorists."


About development projects in Uttarakhand


A press release by the Prime Minister’s Office said, “A significant focus of the visit will be on projects to improve the road infrastructure, which will make travel smooth and safer, and also increase tourism in the region. This is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to boost connectivity in the areas which were once considered far-flung.”


Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for 11 development projects. These projects include the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor which will be built at a cost of Rs 83,000 crore and reduce the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to 2.5 hours.


Another Project which the PM inaugurated is the greenfield Alignment project which will be built with Rs 2,000 crore. It will be accompanied by the Haridwar Ring Road Project which will have a cost of Rs 16,000 crore. It is expected to give better connectivity to Kumaon Zone and reduce traffic in Haridwar city.


The Dehradun-Paonta Sahib Road project was also inaugurated to improve inter-state tourism and cost around Rs 17,000 crore. The Najibabad-Kotdwar road widening project will reduce traffic and improve connectivity to Lansdowne.


A bridge across the Ganga river will also be constructed beside the Lakshman Jhula which has now been shut due to low weight carrying capacity. This bridge will be provided for walking as well as lightweight vehicles.


Another project for which the foundation will be laid is the Child-Friendly City Project to make the cities safer for the children. It will cost around Rs 700 crore.


Apart from other projects, the State of Art Perfumery and Aroma Laboratory (Centre for Aromatic Plants) in Dehradun will also be inaugurated for research and development of high-yielding advanced varieties of aromatic plants.