MUMBAI Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modiinaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects in Palghar, Maharashtra on 30th August. The projects include laying the foundation stone of Vadhvan Port at a cost of around Rs 76,000 crore, and inauguration and laying the foundation stone of 218 fisheries projects worth around Rs 1,560 crore. Shri Modi launched the national rollout of Vessel Communication and Support system at a cost of around Rs 360 crore. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for important fishery infrastructure projects including development, upgradation and modernization of fishing harbours, fish landing centers and construction of fish markets. He handed out transponder sets and Kisan Credit Cards to fishermen beneficiaries.

The Prime Minister began his address by paying tribute to Sant Senaji Maharaj on his punya tithi. Shri Modi spoke from his heart and recalled the time in 2013 when he was nominated for the post of Prime Minister and mentioned visiting the Raigarh Fort as the first thing to pray before the Samadhi of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He said that he was blessed with the same ‘bhakti bhav’ with which he revered his master and took on the new journey to serve the nation. Referring to the unfortunate incident in Sindhudurg, the Prime Minister underlined that Shivaji Maharaj is not merely a name, a revered king or a great personality but a God. He tendered his humble apology by bowing at the feet of Shri Shivaji Maharaj and said that his upbringing and his culture make him different from those who intend to disrespect the great son of the land, Veer Savarkar, and trample the feeling of nationalism. “People of Maharashtra should remain wary of those who disrespect Veer Savarkar and feel no remorse for it”, the Prime Minister said. Shri Modi underlined that the first thing he did after visiting Maharashtra was to apologize to his God, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He also asked for forgiveness from all those who worship Shivaji Maharaj.

Hailing the day as historic in both the state and the country’s development journey, the Prime Minister said his government has taken major steps for the growth of Maharashtra in the last 10 years as “a Viksit Maharashtra is the most crucial element of the resolution of a Viksit Bharat .” Referring to the state’s historic maritime trade, Shri Modi said the state has the potential and resources to grow due to its coastal proximity, holding immense possibilities for the future. “The Vadhvan Port will be the country’s largest container port and will be counted among the world’s deep water ports. It will become an epicenter of trade and industrial development for Maharashtra and India,” he said. The Prime Minister congratulated the people of Palghar, Maharashtra and the entire nation for the Vadhvan Port Project.

Recalling the recent decision by the government to develop the Dighi Port Industrial Area, the Prime Minister said that it is an occasion of double happiness for the people of Maharashtra. He informed that the industrial area will be developed in Raigarh, the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s empire. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, Dighi Port will become an identity of Maharashtra and a symbol of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s dreams. He stated that it will encourage tourism and eco-resort.

Congratulating the entire fishermen community, Prime Minister Modi said that foundation stones for projects related to the fishermen worth more than Rs 700 crore have been laid today and projects worth more than Rs 400 crore have also been inaugurated all across the country. He mentioned Vadhvan Port, the development of Dighi Port Industrial Area and multiple schemes for fisheries and said that all development work has been made possible by the blessings of Mata Mahalakshmi Devi, Mata Jivdani and Bhagwan Tungareshwar.

Referring to India’s golden age, the Prime Minister held that there was a time when Bharat used to be counted among the most strong and prosperous nations due to its maritime capabilities. “People of Maharashtra are well-versed in this potential. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took India’s maritime capabilities to new heights with his policies and strong decisions for the development of the country,” Shri Modi said, adding that even the entire East India Company could not stand in front of Darya Sarang Kanhoji Yaganti. The Prime Minister said that the previous governments failed to pay heed to Bharat’s rich past. “This is New India. It learns from history and recognizes its potential and pride”, the Prime Minister remarked, adding that New India is creating new milestones in maritime infrastructure by leaving behind every trace of the shackles of slavery.

The Prime Minister emphasized that development on India’s coast has gained unprecedented speed in the last decade. He gave examples of modernizing ports, developing waterways, and efforts to encourage ship-building in India. “Lakhs of crore of rupees have been invested in this direction”, PM Modi highlighted that the results can be witnessed through the doubled handling capacity of most ports in India, an increase in private investments and a significant reduction in the turnaround time of ships. The Prime Minister underlined that it has benefitted the industries and businessmen by bringing the costs down, while new opportunities are being created for the youth. “Facilities for sailors have also increased”, he added.

“Entire world is looking towards Vadhvan Port today”, the Prime Minister said as he highlighted that very few ports in the world can match Vadhvan Port’s depth of 20 meters. He underlined the port would transform the economic landscape of the entire region due to railway and highway connectivity. He mentioned that it would create opportunities for new businesses and warehousing owing to its connectivity to the dedicated Western Freight Corridor and proximity to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. “Cargo will flow in and out of the region throughout the year, thereby benefiting the people of Maharashtra”, he added.

“Development of Maharashtra is a huge priority for me”, PM Modi said, highlighting the gains made by Maharashtra through ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ programs. Noting Maharashtra’s key role in India’s progress, the Prime Minister lamented the efforts by those trying to stall development.

Lamenting the efforts of the previous government for stalling the Vadhvan Port project for almost 60 years, the Prime Minister said that India required a new and advanced port for maritime trade but the work in this direction did not start until 2016. It was only after Devendra Fadnavis came to power that this project was taken seriously and it was decided to create a port in Palghar by 2020. However, the project again got stalled for 2.5 years due to a change in government, he said. The Prime Minister informed that an investment of several lakh crore of rupees is estimated in this project alone and about 12 lakh job opportunities will be created here. He also questioned the previous governments for not allowing this project to proceed