As he inaugurated the first section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS in the Capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also interacted with children who accompanied him aboard the Namo Bharat Train on Sunday. While two children aboard the train recited poems, others gifted Modi paintings made by them.
The first section to be opened in Delhi connects New Ashok Nagar to the operational section between Sahibabad and Meerut.
The PM also interacted with several loco train drivers. “Over the past decade, the government’s primary focus has been on infrastructure development,” Modi said, adding that 10 years ago, the budget for infrastructure was around Rs 2 lakh crore, and has now increased to over Rs 11 lakh crore.
He added that the emphasis has been on modern connectivity, particularly within cities and connecting one city to another. “Modern infrastructure is helping to ensure a dignified and quality life for everyone, including the poor and the middle class”, Modi said.
Speaking about the Janakpuri West to Krishna Park stations on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta line, a 2.8-km stretch that he inaugurated Sunday, Modi said India will have the second-largest Metro network in the world under his government’s tenure. “Before 2014, India’s Metro network was only 248 km and limited to just five cities. In the past 10 years, over 752 km of new Metro lines have been inaugurated in India,” he said.
The remaining section connecting Krishna Park Extension to RK Ashram Marg will be completed by 2026 in phases.
He also laid the foundation stone of the Rithala-Narela-Kundli Metro corridor, which will be among the longest sections of the Metro network.
Work on Metro lines in Delhi is conducted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, of which the Centre and the Delhi government are stakeholders.
Delhi CM Atishi said the new projects indicated a giant leap towards economic development. “Delhi is now emerging as a great model of public transport for the entire country and the world,” she said.
“The RRTS, a joint effort of the Centre, Delhi, UP, and Haryana governments is connecting the NCR with Delhi… The Delhi government has also invested Rs 1,260 crore in the RRTS line being built from Delhi to Meerut, as it will boost the economic development of Delhi,” she added.
Besides, Modi also laid the foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art building for the Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Rohini, to be constructed at a cost of Rs 185 crore.
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