PM opens Rs 11K cr Eastern Peripheral Expressway; 1st leg of Delhi-Meerut project

NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been able to drive the country in the right direction in the last four years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the Eastern Peripheral Expressway near Delhi. “You gave us a huge mandate four years ago.
Your presence in massive numbers today proves that we have been able to give the right direction to the country,” he said at a rally in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. The NDA government completed its fourth year in office on May 26.

The 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway will connect towns of UP and Haryana and act as an outer ring road for the capital. It is the country’s first greenfield access-controlled expressway and had been built at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore.

He also inagurated the first 9-km stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and held a road show in Delhi on Sunday morning. Modi said the two expressways will significantly reduce pollution and traffic jams in Delhi as 30% of the vehicles entering Delhi will be diverted which will also reduce vehicular pollution.

“We have constructed 28,000 km of national highways (NHs) at a cost of .`3 lakh crore. The per day construction of NHs, which was 12 km per day four years ago, has increased to 27 km,” he added. “Not only highways, our government has increased the railway network and is building capacity in the aviation sector along with waterways,” he added.

Highlighting the achievements of the government in the last four years, Modi said Congress in its last four years was able to provide internet connectivity to only 59 gram panchayats through optical fibre. Whereas, his government has been able to connect over a lakh villages. Attacking the Congress, Modi said those worshipping one family cannot respect democracy.

“On the other side are those for whom their family is their country, while for me, the country is my family,” he said. He accused Congress of peddling lies for political gains.

“Now they are spreading a new lie among the farmers that if they give their land on contract farming, the government will charge them 18% GST. The party which did not learn from their defeat in elections is spreading so many lies and misleading the farmers,” the PM said. “Farmers should not trust their lies and instead complain against those who are spreading these lies. They will face the law,” he added.

“We are working for the welfare of farmers. Almost Rs 14 lakh crore are being spent to strengthen the agriculture sector and set up the infrastructure required,” Modi said.

“Just for the sake of opposing Modi, they have started opposing things that are positive for the nation,” he said.

Speaking at the event, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said. Rs 40,000-crore projects were being undertaken by the Centre to decongest Delhi.