Bhavnagar, 22 Oct (UNI) Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the first phase of the Rs 615 crore ‘roll-on-roll-off’ (Ro-Ro) ferry service between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district of Saurashtra region and Dahej in Bharuch district of South Gujarat. The ferry service, which will reduce the distance between the two towns from 310 kilometres by road to 30 kilometres, his 'dream project'. After the inauguration, the Prime Minister said, "This may be a project between Ghogha and Dahej, but it is a landmark project in South East Asia. The ferry service is a first of its kind. It is a dream come true for people of Gujarat" . The ferry service is expected to reduce the travel distance between Saurashtra and South Gujarat from 360 km to 31 km, saving five hours in travel time and money for people frequently travelling between the two regions. The ferry can take up to 250 passengers. In subsequent phases, the ferries would be able to transport cars and trucks across the Gulf. The project would be a boon for over 25 lakh people from Saurashtra settled in diamond and textiles hub of Surat in South Gujarat. Mr Modi also added that “We are planning to link other places also through ferries. I am told that a pre-feasibility report for a similar project across Gulf of Kutch is ready,”. Calling coastal areas as gateways to progress, the Prime Minister said over the last three years, his government was seeking to harness the opportunities by developing coastal infrastructure. “We seek to create a crore employment opportunities.” Prime Minister Modi also boarded the ferry 'Island Jade' with 100 physically challenged children from Ghogha to travel via sea route to Dahej which he would reach after an hour-and-a-half, before flying off to Vadodara, where he would address a public rally and inaugurate projects worth Rs 1,140 crore. The prime minister was accompanied by about 100 physically challenged children aboard the ferry to Dahej. UNI XC SDR 1854