New Delhi [India], March 8 (ANI): Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth approximately Rs 33,500 crore in New Delhi today, including three metro lines and over 6,500 residential units, marking an important day for the national capital on International Women’s Day.
Addressing the event, Khattar said today’s date is truly an important day as it marks International Women’s Day, and also a significant day for Delhi due to the inauguration of major projects.
“Today is 8th March, International Women’s Day, on this day we salute our women power. Congratulations to all. Today is also an important day for Delhi because today the PM has inaugurated very big projects. Like in Sarojini Nagar also, many government residences have been decided to be dedicated to the public. And along with this, over 6,500 more houses will be built,” Khattar said.
He added that three metro lines were inaugurated today, with multiple development projects worth approximately Rs 33,500 crore being dedicated to the public.
Khattar recalled that the first metro in Delhi was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 24 years ago, who had said that the metro would become a symbol of modern India and development.
“The first metro in Delhi was inaugurated by our PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Today, 24 years ago. He had said that metro will become a symbol of modern India and development. Today I believe that is becoming true,” he said.
He noted the significant expansion of metro networks under PM Modi’s leadership.
“If I talk about 2013-14, India had only about 245 kilometres of metro network across five cities in the country, but in the last 11 years, under PM Modi, the expansion of metro rail has accelerated significantly and the network of metro line and Namo Bharat RRTS has reached around one thousand 100 kilometres. We are competing in the world and after the US and China, we have reached third place in terms of metro,” Khattar said.
He emphasized that Delhi’s metro network has expanded to over 500 km.
“In Delhi too, more than 500 km of lines have been built. Metro is the lifeline of Delhi. People save time, save money and are free from pollution. There is also safety, there are women’s coaches in metro,” he added.
Khattar highlighted the environmental benefits of the metro system.
“Today it is believed that one lakh ton of carbon dioxide is prevented daily because of metro. I congratulate Delhi residents and the PM for this success,” he concluded.
The inauguration took place in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Vineet Kumar Saxena, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu and Harsh Malhotra, other Delhi ministers, MPs, MLAs and Delhi residents.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister visited the GPRA Type-5 quarters in Sarojini Nagar and handed over keys to women allottees. He inaugurated 2,722 newly built flats and laid the foundation stone for 6,632 additional flats and other multiple projects worth ₹15,200 crore under the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) redevelopment plan in Delhi, as part of a major housing and infrastructure push in the national capital. (ANI)