Governor of West Bengal, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar ji, my colleague in the Union Cabinet, Shri Piyush Goyal ji, my colleague in the Council of Ministers, Shri Babul Supriyo ji, other dignitaries present here, ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to all of you for the expansion of rail and metro connectivity in West Bengal. The projects that have been dedicated to the nation and inaugurated today are going to make the lives of millions of people easier in many districts, including Hooghly.

Friends,

The better the transport means in our country, the stronger our resolve of self-sufficiency and confidence will be. I am happy that apart from Kolkata, the friends of Hooghly, Howrah and North 24 Parganas districts are also now getting the benefit of Metro service facility. Today, the section, which has been inaugurated from Naopada to Dakshineswar, will reduce the distance of one-and-a-half hours to just 25-35 minutes. It will now be possible to reach Kolkata's "Kavi Subhas" or "New Garia" from Dakshineswar  in just one hour from Metro, while the road distance takes up to two-and-a-half hours. This facility will greatly help the school-college goers, employees working in offices and factories and workers.  It will now be easier to reach the Baranagar campus of the Indian Statistical Institute and the Economics Department of the Rabindra Bharati University and University of Calcutta in particular. Moreover, it has become very convenient for devotees to reach the temples of Maa Kali in Kalighat and Dakshineswar.

Friends,

Kolkata Metro had the distinction of being the country's first Metro decades ago. But the modern incarnation and expansion of this Metro has started only in the last few years. And, I am happy that there is a vivid impression of Made in India whatever is being constructed in India today, whether it is the Metro or the railway system. Large quantities of material and technology being used from the laying of tracks to modern locomotives and coaches of trains are now indigenous. It has also increased the speed of our work, improved quality, reduced the cost, and the speed of trains is also increasing.

Friends,

West Bengal has been an important centre of self-sufficiency in the country and there is immense potential for trade from here to the North East and with our neighbouring countries. In view of this, serious efforts are being made to empower the railway network in the last few years. For example, the Sivoke-Rangpo New Line will connect the state of Sikkim with West Bengal for the first time through rail network. Trains are running from Kolkata to Bangladesh. Recently, the rail line from Haldibari to Indo-Bangladesh border has been commissioned. During the last six years, a number of over bridges and under bridges have been taken up in West Bengal.

Friends,

The four projects that have been inaugurated and dedicated to the nation today will further strengthen the rail network here. With the commencement of this third line, the rail movement in Kharagpur-Adityapur section will improve very much and minimize the delay in trains on Howrah-Mumbai route. The facility of double line between Ajimganj to Khagraghat Road will provide relief to the busy rail network of Murshidabad district. This will also provide alternate route to Kolkata-New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati and improve connectivity to the North East. The fourth line project between Dankuni-Baruipara is very important. It will reduce the burden on Hooghly's busy network once it is ready. Similarly, the section of Rasulpur and Magra is a kind of gateway to Kolkata, but is very congested. With the commencement of a new line, this problem will also be solved to a great extent.

Friends,

All these projects are also connecting West Bengal with areas where there is coal industry, steel industry, where fertilizer and grains are produced. These new railway lines will not only make life easier, there will be new options for the enterprise and that is the goal of better infrastructure. This is what Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas all about. This is also the ultimate goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. With the wish that we all continue to work with this goal I congratulate Piyush ji and his entire team. We will fulfill the responsibility that we have taken to remove the pending shortcomings in the railway sector and rail infrastructure of West Bengal for the last several years and will also realize the dreams of Bengal.

With this expectation, many thanks to you!

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/AKJ/VK/AK