“West Bengal a Strong Engine of India’s Development”: PM Modi

GG News Bureau
Durgapur, 18th July: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated to the nation development projects worth over ₹5,400 crore in Durgapur, West Bengal. Addressing a gathering in the ‘Steel City,’ the Prime Minister acknowledged Durgapur’s significant contribution to India’s labor force and development, affirming that today’s projects would further strengthen its role.

PM Modi emphasized that the global discourse now centers on India’s resolve to become a developed nation, attributing this to the transformative changes, particularly in infrastructure, that are building a ‘Viksit Bharat.’ He highlighted achievements in housing, sanitation, tap water connections, new roads, railways, and widespread internet access.

Boosting Gas Grid, Power, and Connectivity
The Prime Minister underscored India’s “unprecedented progress in gas connectivity” over the past decade. He reiterated the government’s vision of “One Nation, One Gas Grid” and the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Yojana, under which gas pipelines are being laid across six eastern states, including West Bengal. The Durgapur-Kolkata section (132 km) of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, part of this ambitious project and valued at over ₹1,190 crore, was dedicated to the nation today. This will bring affordable piped gas to industries and nearly 30 lakh households in West Bengal.

In the power sector, Modi announced that major steel and power plants in Durgapur and Raghunathpur have been upgraded with new technology, representing an investment of approximately ₹1,500 crore, aimed at enhancing efficiency and global competitiveness.

Boosting rail infrastructure, the Prime Minister dedicated the doubling of the Purulia – Kotshila Rail Line (36 KM) worth over ₹390 crore, which will improve connectivity for industries between major hubs. Additionally, two road overbridges (ROBs) worth over ₹380 crore were inaugurated at Topsi and Pandabeshwar under the Setu Bharatam Programme, enhancing connectivity and safety.

Vision for Developed India by 2047
The Prime Minister asserted that every effort, from factories to fields, is driven by the singular resolve to make India a developed nation by 2047. He outlined the government’s path forward: “Empowerment through development, Self-reliance through employment and good governance through responsiveness.” Modi concluded by affirming that adhering to these values will make West Bengal a strong engine in India’s development journey.

The Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose, Union Ministers Hardip Singh Puri, Shantanu Thakur, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, and other dignitaries were present at the event.