 DEHRADUN, Nov 9: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrived in Dehradun on Sunday, to attend the main function of Uttarakhand State Foundation Day, marking the Silver Jubilee celebrations. He inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth Rs 8,260 crore. Appreciating Uttarakhand's achievements over the past 25 years, he encouraged everyone to move forward with a roadmap for the next 25 years. At the ceremony held in the FRI campus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people of the state in Garhwali and Kumaoni on the occasion of State Foundation Day. He said that November 9 is the result of the long struggle and perseverance of the people of Uttarakhand. This day fills every Uttarakhand resident with a sense of pride. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the martyrs of the statehood movement and also saluted all those who participated in the movement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 25 years ago, when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre created the state of Uttarakhand amid great hopes and aspirations, those dreams are now being fulfilled. Expressing his deep affection for Uttarakhand, he said that during his spiritual journeys here, he was inspired by the struggle and hard work of the people living in the mountains. The days he spent in Uttarakhand gave him a true understanding of the state's potential. With that faith, after visiting Baba Kedarnath, he had said that this decade would belong to Uttarakhand and now his belief has become even stronger that this is indeed the era of Uttarakhand's rise. The Prime Minister said that 25 years ago, when Uttarakhand was newly formed, there were many challenges. The state had limited resources, a small budget, and few sources of income. Most of its needs were met through central assistance. But today, the picture has completely changed. He said that 25 years ago, Uttarakhand's budget was only Rs 4,000 crore, which has now crossed Rs 1 lakh crore. In these 25 years, the state's power generation has quadrupled, and the total length of roads has doubled. At the time of state formation, only about 4,000 passengers used air services in six months, whereas today, over 4,000 passengers travel by air in a single day. Over this period, the number of engineering colleges in the state has increased by more than ten. There was only one medical college at the time of formation; now there are ten. Twenty-five years ago, the state's vaccine coverage was below 25 percent today, every village is covered under full vaccination. |
