Chandigarh a model of development for India: PM Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Chandigarh is not just a city but a model of development for India.
“Its identity lies in its superior lifestyle and ease of living. Chandigarh is recognised for its excellent medical facilities. Along with all this, it carries the blessings of Maa Chandi. The development of Chandigarh has always been a priority for the NDA government,” he said while addressing a function at the Punjab Engineering College (PEC) in Sector 12 where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones of projects worth Rs 4,736 crore spanning road infrastructure, healthcare and education at the press of a button.
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Accompanied by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda and Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, the PM reached the venue at 2:08 pm.
In his approximately 15-minute address in Hindi, Modi said Chandigarh connected the entire northern region. “This programme is taking place right between my visits to Jind and Jalandhar. This is because our Chandigarh connects the entire region — Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The development of Chandigarh not only transforms the lives of the people living here but also greatly benefits the people of Haryana, Himachal, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Speaking on healthcare, he said, “When I used to live in Chandigarh, I frequently had to visit the PGI. Colleagues or their families from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal or Haryana would come with an illness and it was only natural for me to visit them. I know first-hand that it has been a highly significant centre for health for the people of this entire region.”
He said the three PGI projects launched on Friday — the Advanced Neurosciences Centre, the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Critical Care Hospital Block — will provide millions of people with better treatment facilities. He recalled attending the PGI convocation in 2015 and noted that over the past decade, the institution’s capacities had expanded significantly. He also announced that an MBBS college had been approved for the PGI, Chandigarh, and that admissions would commence soon.
On road infrastructure, Modi said the inauguration of the six-lane Greenfield Highway from IT City to Kurali would ease pressure on the Airport Road and provide relief to residents of Mohali and Kharar from traffic congestion. He added that the foundation stone of the PR-7 Spur from the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway would further boost industry, business and ease of living across the region.
Modi noted that Chandigarh was the first city to implement India’s three new criminal laws a year and a half ago. He added that over Rs 2,500 crore had been spent in recent years on making the city high-tech, including an Integrated Command and Control Centre, smart traffic management, smart parking and digital governance.
He also commended retired IPS officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu, who earned recognition as a ‘Broom Warrior’ for his cleanliness drives in Chandigarh, and noted that the government honoured him with a Padma award this year.
Modi concluded with a note on the country’s broader direction. “We must make decisions whose benefits are reaped not only by the present generation but also by generations to come. We must build institutions that grow stronger with time.”
Projects inaugurated
IT City-Kurali Greenfield Highway, NH-205A (31.23 km, 6-lane): Rs 1,936 cr
Advanced Mother and Child Centre, PGIMER (300 beds): Rs 505 cr
Advanced Neurosciences Centre, PGIMER: Rs 440 cr
240 police houses, Dhanas: Rs 65 cr
Kurukshetra Boys Hostel & Mess, PEC: Rs 39.5 cr
Hostel Block, Govt College, Sector 46: Rs 16.6 cr
Foundation stones laid
PR-7 Spur, Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway NH-205A (10.3 km): Rs 1,464 cr
Critical Care Centre, PGIMER (150 beds): Rs 244 cr
Research Scholars’ Hostel, PEC: Rs 26 cr
