Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday inaugurated a Rs6.5bn roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service that reduces travel time by six hours between Saurashtra and South Gujarat in the election-bound state.
Addressing a gathering here after the inauguration, Modi blasted the Congress saying the previous federal government led by the Congress had stalled all Gujarat development projects by creating procedural hurdles in the name of environment.
“When I was the chief minster, I faced hostility from the then central government. People at the Centre were like that. From Vapi to Mandvi in Kutch, they had banned development in the entire coastal area of Gujarat. They had threatened to lock all our industries in the name of environment.”
He said this had changed since he took power in Delhi and gave importance to the Gujarat development.
“It seems the implementation of all good works is my luck. Changes don’t come from cliched attitude but by new thinking. We changed the way of thinking.”
He said the ferry in the Gulf of Khambhat of the Arabian Sea would reduce travel time between Bhavnagar district in western Gujarat’s Saurashtra region and Dahej in Bharuch district in south Gujarat from seven hours to one hour, cutting the distance to 31km from 360km.
“It is a landmark project not only for India but also for the entire South-East Asia. It is a dream come true for the people of Gujarat.”
The dream of 65mn Gujaratis had come true as the ferry service would lead to social and economic development in the region and bring thousands of new job opportunities, he said. Modi said besides making the lives of people easier, the service also brings them closer and saves fuel by decreasing the number of vehicles on the road.
“Imagine how much time and petrol this ferry service will save,” he said, adding the facility would not be restricted to just one route.