In poll-bound Gujarat, Modi’s new ferry service is big boon
bhavnagar (gujarat) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated a Rs6.5 billion roll onroll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service that reduces travel time by six hours between Saurashtra and south Gujarat in the election-bound state.
Addressing a gathering here after the inauguration, Modi blasted the Congress saying the previous Congress-led government in the Centre had stalled all Gujarat development projects by creating procedural hurdles in the name of environment.
“When I was the chief minster, I faced hostility from the then central government. People at the Center were like that. From Vapi to Mandvi in Kutch, they (the UPA government) had banned development in the entire coastal area of Gujarat. They had threatened to lock all our industries in the name of environment.” He said this had changed since he took power in Delhi and gave importance to the Gujarat development.
“It seems implementation of all good works are my luck. Changes don’t come from cliched attitude but by new thinking. We changed the way of thinking.” He said the ferry in the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea would reduce the travel time between Bhavnagar district in western Gujarat’s Saurashtra region and Dahej in Bharuch district in south Gujarat from seven hours to one hour, cutting the distance between two places to 31km from 360km.
“It is a landmark project not only for India but also for the entire South-East Asia. It is a dream come true for the people of Gujarat.”
The prime minister said the RoRo ferry was like an “amrit” — the drink of immortality — bestowed upon to the people Gujarat as a blessing from Hindu deity of oceans Varuna.
The dream of 60.5 million Gujaratis had come true as the ferry service would lead to social and economic development in the region and bring thousands of new job opportunities, he said.
The PM said besides making the lives of millions of people easier, the service also brings them closer and saves fuel by decreasing the number of vehicles on the road.
“Imagine how much time and petrol this ferry service will save,” he said, adding the facility would not be restricted to just one route.
“We are planning to link other places,” he said, noting that plans were afoot to expand the service to Hazira and the union territory DiuDaman at a later stage and various places in Saurashtra.
Calling coastal areas as gateways to progress, he said over the last three years, his government had been trying to develop coastal infrastructure that would “create over 10 million employment opportunities”. —