PM inaugurates Rs 11,000 cr Eastern Peripheral Expressway

Asserting that infrastructure is a key priority of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Rs 3 lakh crore has been spent on laying a network of 28,000 km of highways.

Highways, railways, airways and Iways have been the focus of the government he said.

Highways construction has reached 27 km a day from mere 12 km a day during Congress regime while last year 10 crore people undertook air journeys, he said.

Modi was addressing a public rally here after dedicating the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) to the nation. The 135 km EPE has been built at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore in 500 days.

He said that apart from Rs 5 lakh crore provision for Bharatmala for highways, a provision of Rs 14 lakh crore was made in the budget to strengthen agriculture related infrastructure.

The government is sensitive to the plight of sugarcane farmers and adequate steps are taken to provide proper prices for their crop, he said.

While talking about social justice, Modi said his government is committed to dalit protection and has constituted special courts for fast-track hearing of cases of atrocities.

Lauding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said criminals in UP are now surrendering themselves and pledging not to indulge in illegal acts.

About the Ganga cleaning programme, Modi said more than 200 projects worth Rs 21,000 crore for have been taken up.

Taking a jibe at Congress, Modi said it had betrayed people for 70 years and played politics to create a crisis of confidence whether related to EVMs or other critical issues.

He said the Opposition was spreading rumours on farmer issues and asked people not to give credence to lies about farms given on contract farming.

In his about 50 minute-speech, he said all-round development work has been initiated.