India needs modern infra; can’t afford any delays: PM Modi

UDAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a public meeting in Udaipur that India cannot afford a delay in the modernization of its infrastructure in order to sustain widespread growth and development. He said that in order to grow further, the infrastructure has to be developed or else it would act as a barrier to prosperity.

Infrastructure played a huge role in the nation`s development but earlier governments and policy-makers often avoided such time-consuming projects involving large investments “as people often lose patience”, Modi said at a public meeting here.

“But, we know that if we have to take the nation to new heights, there is a pressing need to modernize our infrastructure,” Modi said.

“Be it rail, road, water or power supply, optical fibre network, waterways, or coastal connectivity, India will not benefit from any further delay in setting up this modern infrastructure,” he added. The Prime Minister said that once everything was in place, it would bring many positive changes in people`s lives.

“For example, road projects entailing an expenditure of Rs 9,000-crore being launched in Rajasthan will benefit farmers in taking their produce to markets of their choice. It will also enable a sick mother to get good healthcare, which may not be available in her village,” Modi said.

Giving the example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee`s Golden Quadrilateral project, Modi said it enabled farmers of Gujarat to take their produce to markets in Delhi within a day, which substantially increased their incomes.

He said road infrastructure was especially beneficial for Rajasthan, a big state with huge potential for tourism. Modi said while the government was laying foundation stones for projects entailing an expenditure of around Rs 9,500 crore, these would be completed in a time-bound manner just like the projects with the expenditure of around Rs 5,600 crore were inaugurated on Tuesday.