Baghpat, UP, May 27 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said development of infrastructure is the path to "Sabka saath sabka vikas" as development does not discriminate between caste, religion or class.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the phase-1 of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE).
Mr Modi said Rs 3-lakh-crore have been spent to make 28,000 km of highways.
"During the Congress' regime, 12-km roads were built but today 27- km of highways are built," Mr Modi said.
The Prime Minister said even Railways' work had gathered momentum.
"Where there was no connectivity, we started the work there also."
Mr Modi said in 2017, 10 crore people travelled by airways showing that India was changing.
All systems of New India were built keeping in mind the youth, middle class and women.
Mr Modi said like Ganga, his government was preparing projects for Yamuna river also.
He waved at the crowds that had lined up on both sides of the road in large number.
Union Surface Transport and Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari called today's inauguration as the "golden day" of infrastructures as the Prime Minister has dedicated his dream to the nation.
"We had a target 30 months to complete the phase-1of Delhi-Meerut Expressway but we completed it in 18 months. I thank the people for their cooperation and the engineers who worked tirelessly to achieve the target," Mr Gadkari said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said these projects would bring development to the state especially Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Noida and other adjoining areas.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal also spoke.
After inaugurating the phase-1 of Delhi-Meerut Expressway at the Nizamudin Bridge, the Prime Minister along with Mr Gadkari undertook an open vehicle road show.
The first of these is the 14 lane, access controlled, package-I of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, stretching from Nizammudin Bridge to Delhi UP Border. This 8.360 km expressway has been completed at a cost of about Rs 841.50-crore.
The second project dedicated on Sunday was the 135-km-long Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), stretching from Kundli on NH 1 to Palwal on NH 2. The foundation for this project was laid around two years ago.
Around 1700 hectares was acquired for the EPE at a cost of about Rs 5,900-crore. The construction cost of the project was around Rs 4,617.87-crore.
The fully access-controlled six-lane expressway has been completed in a record time of about 500 days against the scheduled target of 910 days.
It has four major bridges, 46 minor bridges, three flyovers, seven inter-changes, 221 underpasses, eight ROBs, and 114 culverts.
This project has generated employment opportunities of about 50-lakh man-days.
EPE has an iconic 170 feet high toll plaza, with 154 feet wing on either side. It will house the ITS control system of the entire EPE.
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