Gandhinagar, 25 October 2022: Building high-quality infrastructure enhances the socio-economic development of a state and a country. Over the last 20 years, the Government of Gujarat has enabled ‘Ease of Living’ for its citizens by heavily investing in advanced infrastructure facilities. In 2001, when Narendra Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat, the state was facing several challenges. However, through his visionary leadership, Narendra Modi initiated a concerted effort to build a robust infrastructure in Gujarat.
He laid emphasis on increasing the interconnectivity of the state by implementing result-oriented action plans which can foster economic prosperity in the future. In his endeavour to build a solid public infrastructure, the state witnessed a massive transformation. And today, taking forward his legacy of economic progress, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is further building up on those infrastructural projects in Gujarat.
Improved Road Connectivity in Gujarat
Acknowledging the important role of transportation in economic development, the state launched a ‘Pragatipath Scheme’ aimed at connecting the tribal, industrial, and rural areas with crucial trade junctions. The scheme also laid emphasis on widening and strengthening of nine high-speed corridors. The project enabled the construction of highways of around 3,710 km at a cost of ₹2,488 crore. This project built a strong road network connecting all corners of the state and reduced commuting hours.
To build roads passing through municipalities, urban areas, towns, and big cities on modern standards, the state launched the ‘Vikaspath Scheme’. Under this scheme, roads were widened and provided with footpaths for pedestrians, drainage systems were developed, etc. With an investment of ₹750 crore, around 189 municipalities have been upgraded under this initiative.
To enable connectivity in rural areas and ensure farmers’ agricultural products reach the market on time, the state implemented ‘Kisanpath Yojana’. This scheme helped in the upgradation of roads in rural areas and hence improved the quality of life of the farmers by boosting agricultural activities and productivity. Around 2,600 projects were implemented under this scheme with an investment of ₹2,000 crore. Also, 3,800 villages have benefitted from this scheme.
To incentivise tourism activities and ensure better connectivity at tourist places, the state government launched ‘Pravasi Path Scheme’. This initiative promoted tourism development and raised economic activities attributed to improved connectivity between more than 60 destinations. Through the total investment of ₹2,300 crore, the initiative benefited over 24 districts of the state.
Railway Connectivity
The then Chief Minister Narendra Modi had also undertaken the resolve to strengthen and expand railway infrastructure in Gujarat. He dreamt of starting metro trains and ideated the Ahmedabad and Surat Metro Rail projects. Today, Bhupendra Patel’s government has turned this dream into a reality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent visit to Gujarat flagged off the phase-I of Ahmedabad metro running between Thaltej and Vastral. On the other hand, the work of Surat Metro has also attained pace.
PM also inaugurated the new Vande Bharat train which will run between Gandhinagar and Mumbai. This is the first Vande Bharat train in the country equipped with ‘Kavach’ technology.
Additionally, a dedicated company named ‘Gujarat Rail Infrastructure Development Limited’ (G-RIDE) was formed to ensure rail connectivity to industrial regions, ports, and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). It enhanced the state’s global export competitiveness as well.
In January 2021, the PM also launched eight new trains connecting Kevadiya, where the Statue of Unity is situated, with different parts of the country. This eased the travel of tourists to reach the world’s tallest statue.
Gas, Electricity & Water Facilities
Gujarat has been a leader in developing a gas-based economy. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, Gujarat has developed an integrated state-wide gas grid on an open access common carrier basis. Today there is a pipeline gas grid network of over 2,600 km in length across 25 districts connecting major industrial hubs which have increased industrial productivity and helped compete with global markets.
The Gujarat water grid project envisioned establishing a state-wide water grid network of 75,000 km with the aim of distributing water for irrigation and a state-wide drinking water grid to supply water to over 14,000 villages and 154 towns, covering three-fourths of the population. Gujarat’s age-old issues of drought and water scarcity have been strategically addressed. Due to this project, 75% of the population which was earlier dependent on groundwater, now has access to surface water.
In 2001, Gujarat’s power sector was in a dire state. Rural areas had no access to electricity at night. Under the leadership of the then Chief Minister, the state government implemented the Jyotigram Yojana which provided 24 hours electricity to all the villages. Moreover, the Government of Gujarat introduced extensive reforms in power generation and its distribution which helped it achieve the status of a ‘Power Surplus’ state in 2009. Today Gujarat has 24×7 uninterrupted power supply.
Port Connectivity
Narendra Modi also laid a special emphasis on developing ports in Gujarat to facilitate goods movement. Port Pipavav, India’s first port in private sector, was built under his leadership. Besides, four greenfield port locations have also been established in Gujarat. The state government has also announced a transparent and extensive ‘Port Policy’, which encourages private participation in the sector.
In 2007, Narendra Modi made his intentions clear that Gujarat would handle around 40% of India’s maritime trade, and today the state has made it a reality, a matter of pride for Gujarat.
Gujarat is the first state in India to privatise the port sector and develop state-of-the-art ports. Kandla port is a prime example of the state’s industrial growth. Recently, the PM also laid the foundation stone of the world’s first CNG Terminal, Brown Field Port at Bhavnagar, Gujarat. This CNG terminal will be developed with modern infrastructure at a cost of ₹4,024 crore and will cater to the future needs of Bhavnagar. It will also aid in upcoming projects like vehicle scrapping, container manufacturing, other mega projects, and especially the Dholera Special Investment Region.
Construction of Modern Airports & Railway Stations
To further push economic excellence for the public, the Government of Gujarat has also developed state-of-the-art airports and railway stations. Under the central government’s regional connectivity scheme ‘UDAN’, air service through 18 routes have been started from nine airports in Gujarat. Moreover, a greenfield airport with advanced facilities is being developed at Rajkot, for which 924 hectares of land have been allocated by the government free of cost.
The railway station at the state capital Gandhinagar was developed in a modern way and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. A five-star hotel has also been built above it for the convenience of tourists visiting Gujarat. Recently, the proposal of Indian Railways for the redevelopment of Ahmedabad Railway Station has also been approved by the Central Government. Taking inspiration from Modhera Sun Temple, Ahmedabad’s Kalupur railway station has been redesigned.
As the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi has recently implemented the PM GATI Shakti National Master Plan to accelerate the development of India’s infrastructure. Aligning itself with it, Gujarat has become the first state to launch PM Gati Shakti portal under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. This portal will give a new impetus to the development of Gujarat in the future. The Government of Gujarat under Bhupendra Patel is committed to further strengthen the infrastructure network for sustainable future of its citizens.
