The Governor of Kerala, Shri Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers of the Government of Kerala, other dignitaries, my brothers and sisters of Kochi!

Today every nook and corner of Kerala is soaked in the holy festival of Onam. On this occasion of enthusiasm, Kerala is gifted with connectivity projects worth more than Rs 4,600 crores. I congratulate all of you very much for these projects that will increase Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business.

We Indians have taken a colossal resolution to build a developed India in the next 25 years of the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. Modern infrastructure has an important role in this roadmap of developed India. Today another big step has been taken for a developed India from this great land of Kerala.

Friends,

I remember I had the opportunity to inaugurate the Aluva-Palarivattom section of Kochi Metro in June 2017. Kochi Metro Phase-One Extension has been inaugurated today. Also, the foundation stone for the second phase of Kochi Metro has also been laid. The second phase of Kochi Metro will run from J.L.N. Stadium to Infopark. This will also connect SEZ Kochi Smart City with Kakkanad. That is, the second phase of Kochi Metro will prove to be a huge boon for our youth and professionals.

This project in Kochi will give a new direction to the urban and transport development of the entire country. The Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority in Kochi has also been implemented. This authority will work to integrate all modes of transport like metro, bus, waterways, etc.

With this model of multi-modal connectivity, the city of Kochi will have three direct benefits. This will reduce the travel time of the people of the city, reduce the traffic on the roads and also reduce the pollution in the city. It will also help in meeting the colossal pledge of net zero that India has taken to protect the environment as it will reduce the carbon footprint.

In the last eight years, the Central Government has continuously worked to make Metro the most prominent mode of urban transport. The Central Government has expanded the metro network from the capital to other major cities of the state. The first metro train ran in our country about 40 years ago. In the subsequent 30 years, less than 250 km of metro network was ready in the country. In the last eight years, new routes of more than 500 km of metro have been prepared in the country and work is underway for more than 1000 kms of metro route.

We are completely transforming Indian Railways. Today, railway stations in the country are also being developed like airports. Among the projects gifted to Kerala today, there is also a plan to redevelop three major railway stations of Kerala of international standard. Now modern facilities will also be developed at Ernakulam Town Station, Ernakulam Junction and Kollam Station.

Kerala's rail connectivity is reaching a new milestone today. The entire rail route from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru has been doubled. This is a great convenience for the general travelers as well as the devotees of Kerala. The doubling of the Ettumanoor-Chingavanam-Kottayam track will greatly facilitate the ‘darshan’ of Lord Ayyappa. This was a long-standing demand of lakhs of devotees, which has now been fulfilled. It is a joyous occasion for devotees from across the country and the world who wish to visit Sabarimala. The electrification of the Kollam-Punalur section will enable pollution-free and faster rail travel across the region. Besides the convenience of the local people, this will also increase the attraction of this popular tourist destination. Several infrastructure projects worth about Rs 1 lakh crore are currently underway in Kerala. These modern infrastructure projects will create new employment opportunities in Kerala and will energize agriculture and industries.

The Central Government is laying a lot of emphasis on the connectivity of Kerala. Our government is also converting National Highway-66, which is called the lifeline of Kerala, into six lanes. More than Rs 55,000 crore is being spent on this. Tourism and trade get huge benefits from modern and better connectivity. Tourism is such an industry which helps everybody, including the poor, middle class, villages and cities. The development of tourism in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence will greatly help in the development of the country.

The Central Government is also encouraging entrepreneurship in the tourism sector. Loans without guarantee up to Rs 10 lakh are available under the Mudra Yojana. Under this scheme, financial help of more than 70,000 crore rupees has been given to lakhs of small entrepreneurs in Kerala and many of them are in the tourism sector.

The specialty of the people of Kerala is that care and concern are part of the society’s life. A few days ago, I got the opportunity to inaugurate Maa Amritanandamayi ji's Amrita Hospital in Haryana. I was also blessed by Amritanandamayi Amma who is full of compassion. I express my gratitude to her once again from the soil of Kerala.

Friends, our government is developing the country by working on the basic mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’. With this wish that together we will strengthen the path of a developed India in this ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. Once again many congratulations to all of you on the development projects. Once again, Happy Onam to all of you.

Thanks a lot.

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

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DS/VJ/VK/AK