Previous govts did not do enough on infrastructure front: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said his government is concentrating on transport and infrastructure development, areas which he claimed, did not get adequate attention during previous administrations.

He said the metro rail project got a boost during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government (1998-2004) and had it been in power for some more time, the rapid mass transport scenario would have changed for better in the country's cities.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of the phase 3 of Pune Metro, Modi said his government's thinking is different than that of opposition parties.

"Unki soch, unko mubarak (let them be happy with their thinking). Our government's aim is to strive for balanced development which reaches the last person in the society," said the prime minister.

"Previous governments did not pay attention to transportation and infrastructure development the way they should have done," said Modi, who was in Maharashtra on a day- long visit to lay the foundation stone for a slew of projects.

The 24-km fully elevated metro line, connecting Shivajinagar in the heart of Pune to the IT hub of Hinjewadi on the city's outskirts, will be built at a cost of over Rs 8,000 crore. It is expected to be completed in 36 months.

Modi said the Pune Metro phase 3 is the first corridor after the Centre unveiled its metro rail policy last year.

"The new policy, which envisages projects on PPP (public-private partnership) model, is a reform-oriented policy where rules and regulations have been clearly defined," he added.

Modi said the metro rail project got a big fillip during the Vajpayee government.

"If the Vajpayee government had got some more time, more Maharashtra cities would have been connected through metro rail. There is now a generation gap between 2004 and 2018.

"There was never a shortage of ideas earlier. Only what is required is hand holding and giving direction to those ideas," Modi said, adding the need of the hour is to transform ideas into an industry.

Modi said in the last four years, metro has become the lifeline of major cities across the country.

"In four years, 300 km new lines were commissioned and work on 200 km is being completed. At present, 500 km metro line is functioning," he said.

Speaking about Pune, which has emerged as an infotech and educational hub in the country, Modi said by the end of next year, 12km metro line would become operational in the city, considered the cultural capital of Maharashtra.

Modi said his government's priority was to focus on generation next infrastructure and transport integration systems, including highways, airways, waterways and roadways.

This is because of the government's commitment to infrastructure development and efforts to cut down travel time by improving connectivity, he said.

"Currently we are witnessing expansion of metro lines in the various parts of the country. The momentum for this work in the real sense was given by Atalji. He gave emphasis on the infrastructure in both rural as well as urban areas.

"Ten years after his government, our government not only provided speed to that infrastructural development but also enhanced the scale," said Modi.

The work of Delhi Metro also started during Vajpayee's tenure and today almost all of Delhi is connected with the metro lines, Modi said.