Dwarka (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-day visit to his home state Gujarat on Saturday, kicking off the trip with prayers at famous Dwarkadhish temple.
After visiting the temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, Modi laid the foundation stone of a four-lane, cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka and said it was a link between old and new Dwarka.
Addressing a public meeting at the event, Modi lauded Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for announcing relaxations in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) mechanism, saying it had brought Diwali 15 days early for Gujarati traders.
“Diwali has always been celebrated with fervour in Gujarat. But this year, changes to GST mechanism have brought Diwali 15 days early for traders,” he said.
Vowing to boost tourism in Dwarka, Modi said the previous central government had not done much for Gujarat. "There were lots of possibilities of development in the tourism sector here, but earlier the UPA government had an indifferent attitude towards Gujarat because of the BJP government in the state.... I clearly remember," Modi said, referring to his days as Gujarat chief minister.
The PM addressed the public meeting after laying the foundation stone for the 2.32 km Okha-Beyt Dwarka bridge, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 962.43 crore.
(Image: PIB India/Twitter)
Terming the bridge a link between the old and new Dwarka, he said it would benefit the people of Beyt (island) Dwarka and devotees.
The four-lane 27.20 metre wide bridge will have 2.50 metre wide footpaths on each side. Solar panels installed on the roof of footpath will produce 1 MW power for street lights on the bridge, officials said.
At present, devotees visiting the Shri Dwarkadhishji temple at Beyt Dwarka can travel only during the day by ferry. Once the bridge is constructed, they can travel any time of the day.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Vadnagar, his birthplace, for the first time since coming to power in 2014.
The PM’s visit comes days after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi kicked off the party’s campaign in the state for Assembly elections this year.
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