Governor of West Bengal, C.V. Ananda Bose ji, my cabinet colleague Shantanu Thakur ji, Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari ji, my colleague in Parliament, Jagannath Sarkar ji, state government ministers, other dignitaries, ladies, and gentlemen!

Today marks another stride towards propelling West Bengal into a developed state. Just yesterday, I had the privilege of serving Bengal in Arambagh, where I inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth approximately Rs 7000 crores. Among these were numerous significant schemes pertaining to railways, ports, and petroleum. Today, once again, I am honoured to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development initiatives worth around Rs 15,000 crores. Improved electricity, road, and railway facilities will undoubtedly enhance the lives of my brothers and sisters of Bengal. These development initiatives will catalyse the economic growth of West Bengal, ushering in new employment opportunities for the youth. I congratulate all of you on this momentous occasion and wish you all the best.

Friends,

In the modern era, electricity stands as a paramount necessity to propel development forward. Whether it pertains to the industries of any state, modern railway infrastructure, or our everyday lives intertwined with advanced technology, no state or country can progress without an adequate supply of electricity. Therefore, our foremost endeavour is for West Bengal to achieve self-sufficiency in both its current and future electricity requirements. Today marks a significant stride in this direction with the laying of the foundation stone for the Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station-Phase-2 project under the Damodar Valley Corporation. This project entails an investment exceeding Rs 11,000 crore in the state, addressing not only its energy needs but also fostering economic development in the surrounding regions. Furthermore, alongside inaugurating this thermal power plant, I have also unveiled the FGD system at the Mejia Thermal Power Station. This system underscores Bharat's commitment to environmental preservation and will significantly mitigate pollution in the area.

Friends,

West Bengal serves as the eastern gateway for our nation and several other states. Through this gateway, abundant opportunities for progress can flow into the eastern region. Hence, our government is steadfastly working towards modernizing the connectivity of roads, railways, airways, and waterways in West Bengal. Today, I inaugurated National Highway-12, NH-12, connecting Farakka and Raiganj, with an investment of approximately Rs 2000 crore. This highway will drastically enhance travel speed for the people of Bengal, reducing the journey time from Farakka to Raiganj by half from 4 hours before. Additionally, it will ameliorate the traffic situation in urban areas such as Kaliachak, Sujapur, and Malda Town. As transportation efficiency increases, so will industrial activities, ultimately benefiting the local farmers.

Friends,

From an infrastructure perspective, the railways constitute an integral part of West Bengal's illustrious history. However, despite Bengal's historical advantage in this regard, it was not effectively capitalized on, post-independence. This oversight is the reason why, despite abundant potential, Bengal lagged behind. Over the past decade, we have placed significant emphasis on enhancing railway infrastructure to address this disparity. Presently, our government is allocating more than double the amount for Bengal's railway infrastructure than before. Today, I am concurrently inaugurating four railway projects of the Government of India here in Bengal. These development initiatives will play a pivotal role in fulfilling our vision of a modern and developed Bengal. I do not wish to prolong this event any further, as just 10 minutes away, a large number of people from Bengal are eagerly waiting for me. I intend to address them openly and extensively there. Therefore, it would be more appropriate for me to convey my remarks there. That concludes our proceedings here. Once again, congratulations to all of you for these commendable projects.

Thank you!

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

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DS/VJ/IG/AK