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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects worth over Rs 8000 crore in Amod, Bharuch, Gujarat today. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park at Jambusar, Deep Sea Pipeline Project at Dahej, Phase 1 of Ankleshwar Airport and the development of Multilevel Industrial Sheds at Ankleshwar and Panoli. The Prime Minister also dedicated several projects which will give a boost to the chemicals sector in Gujarat including GACL Plant, Bharuch Underground Drainage and IOCL Dahej Koyali Pipeline.
At the outset, the Prime Minister paid tributes to Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav. “My relationship with Mulayam Singh Ji has been very special. As Chief Ministers, when we used to meet, there was a feeling of mutual regard and closeness”, he said. Remembering when after becoming the Prime Ministerial candidate, Shri Modi had reached out to leaders of the various parties, the Prime Minister said that Mulayam Singh Ji’s words of blessings and advice are still very important to him. Mulayam Singh Ji maintained his 2013 blessings irrespective of changing times. Shri Modi also recalled Mulayam Singh Ji’s blessing in the last session of the last Lok Sabha where the departed leader, without any political differences had predicted the return of Prime Minister Modi in 2019 who as per, Mulayam Singh Ji, is a leader who carries everyone along. “Today, from this land of Gujarat and from the banks of Maa Narmada pay my respectful homage to respected Mulayam Singh Ji. I pray to the almighty to grant strength to his family and admirers to bear this unbearable loss”, the Prime Minister added.
Remarking that the Prime Minister has come to Bharuch at the time of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, he said that the soil of this place has given birth to many children of the nation that have taken the name of the country to new heights. He remembered a member of the Constituent Assembly and key comrade of Sardar Patel in the Somnath movement, Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi and Indian music great Pt. Omkarnath Thakur. “Bharuch has a critical role to play in the development of Gujarat and India”, Shri Modi added, “Whenever we read the history of India and talk about the future, Bharuch is always discussed with pride.” He also noted the emerging cosmopolitan nature of the Bharuch District.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the first Bulk Drug Park has been presented to Bharuch along with multiple projects related to the chemicals sector. “Two major projects related to connectivity have also been initiated today”, he added. Shri Modi also informed that the foundation laying stone of Bharuch Airport in Ankleshwar has also been laid so that the people of Bharuch do not have to depend on Baroda or Surat. The Prime Minister also pointed out that Bharuch is a district that has more industry than other small states of the country, and with the new airport project, the region is bound to take the high road in terms of development. “It is a result of the double-engine government of Narendra-Bhupendra that strives to bring the tasks to completion at meteoric pace”, Shri Modi added, “This is the new face of Gujarat.” Gujarat, in the last two decades, has transformed from a state lagging in every field to a thriving industrial and agricultural state. With busy ports and a developing coastline, the lives of the tribal and fisherman community got transformed. Due to the hard work of the people of Gujarat, the Prime Minister said, in the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, a golden age has started for the youth of the state. We should not lose this opportunity by creating an enabling environment free of obstacles, he said. Both policy and intention (Niti and Niyat) are needed for realizing these dreams, he said. He talked about the improved law and order situation in the Bharuch area. He also remembered how agriculture, health and drinking water situations improved over the years. He recalled how, as Chief Minister, he grappled with one issue at a time and solved them. “Today, children do not know the word, curfew, which was common earlier. Today, our daughters are not only living with dignity and working late but also, leading the lives of the communities”, he said. Similarly, education facilities have come up in Bharuch, giving new opportunities to the youth. Due to long-term planning and leveraging of under-utilized resources, Gujarat has emerged as a manufacturing, industrial and business hub and many world-class facilities have emerged here. The Double-Engine Government has become a great example of double benefits, the Prime Minister pointed out.
The Prime Minister reiterated his call for vocal-for-local. By resorting to local products and shunning imported products, every citizen can contribute to Aatmnirbhar Bharat, he said. He appealed for using locally made things during Diwali as they will help the local businesses and artisans. He said that the Indian economy has reached the fifth position from 10th place in 2014. The feat was made more momentous by the fact that India surpassed its erstwhile colonial masters. For this youth, farmers, workers, small and big businesses, and industrialists deserve credit, he said. He congratulated the people of Bharuch for getting involved in the noble task of saving lives by manufacturing drugs. Pandemic has made the importance of the pharma sector very clear, he said. “Gujarat helped the country a great deal in the war against Corona. Gujarat accounts for 25 per cent share of the country’s pharma export ”, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister also recalled the time when some miscreants obstructed the path of development in Bharuch. He said, “When we came to power in 2014 and Gujarat felt the double-engine power of Narendra and Bhupendra, all obstructions were uprooted.” The Prime Minister pointed out the obstructions created by urban naxals during the development of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Pointing out the prevalence of naxalites in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the Prime Minister heaped praises on the tribal communities of Gujarat who did not let naxals pervade the state of Gujarat and saved the lives of the people of the state. The Prime Minister cautioned against letting urban-naxal get any foothold in the state. He said, without ensuring good education in science and mathematics, it is not possible to get proper advantage of affirmative action and other schemes, due to government efforts. Today, tribal youth are getting pilot training and becoming doctors, scientists and lawyers. The Prime Minister informed that the Adivasi community has contributed immensely to the journey of the development of the state and the country, and to honour their contribution the government had declared Janjatiya Gaurav Divas dedicated to the memory of brave tribal freedom fighters on the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda who is revered as by tribal communities across the country.
In concluding the address, the Prime Minister said that the development of Bharuch and Ankleshwar is being carried out along the lines of twin city model of development, like that of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. “People are going to talk about Bharuch and Ankleshwar like they talk about New York and New Jersey”, he concluded.
Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister of Chemical and Fertilisers, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, and Members of Parliament, Shri C R Patil and Shri Mansukh Vasava were those present on the occasion among others.
Background
In yet another step to make India Aatmanirbhar in the pharmaceutical sector, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park at Jambusar. In 2021-22, bulk drugs accounted for over 60% of total pharmaceutical imports. The project will play a key role in ensuring import substitution and helping make India self-reliant for bulk drugs. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Deep Sea Pipeline Project at Dahej, which will help in the disposal of treated wastewater from industrial estates. Other projects whose foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister include Phase 1 of Ankleshwar Airport and the development of Multilevel Industrial Sheds at Ankleshwar and Panoli, which will give a boost to the MSME sector.
The Prime Minister performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the development of multiple industrial parks. These include four Tribal Industrial Parks which will come up in Valia (Bharuch), Amirgadh (Banaskantha), Chakaliya (Dahod) and Vanar (Chhota Udaipur); Agro Food Park at Mudetha (Banaskantha); Sea Food Park at Kakwadi Danti (Valsad); and MSME Park at Khandivav (Mahisagar).
During the programme, the Prime Minister dedicated several projects which will give a boost to the chemicals sector. He dedicated 800 TPD Caustic Soda Plant integrated with a 130 MW cogeneration power plant at Dahej. Along with this, he also dedicated the expansion of the existing Caustic Soda Plant at Dahej, whose capacity has been increased from 785 MT/day to 1310 MT/day. The Prime Minister also dedicated a project for manufacturing over one lakh MT per annum of Chloromethanes at Dahej. Other projects which were dedicated by the Prime Minister include the Hydrazine Hydrate Plant at Dahej which will help in import substitution of the product, IOCL Dahej-Koyali Pipeline Project, Bharuch underground drainage and STP work and widening & strengthening of Umlla Asaa Panetha road.