Modi lays foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore at Mana in Uttarakhand

New Delhi, October 21, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore at Mana in Uttarakhand on a day when he also offered prayers at the Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines.

He also visited the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal and reviewed the work in progress along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath.

He also reviewed the progess in the work aong the Alaknanda riverfront.

Of the two ropeways being built at a cost of Rs 2,430 crore, one will be 9.7 km in length and connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present to just 30 minutes.

The Hemkund ropeway will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 Km in length and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 mins. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to the Valley of Flowers National Park.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed his feeling of bliss after performing darshan and pooja at the shrines. “My life became blessed, the mind became happy and these moments became alive,” he said.

Recalling the words that he spoke during his earlier visit that the decade will belong to Uttarakhand, the Prime Minister said that he has full faith that Baba Kedar and Badri Vishal will bless those words. “Today, I am here among you to reiterate the same resolve with these new projects,” he said.

Noting that Mana village is known as the last village at India’s borders, the Prime Minister said, “For me, every village at the border is the first village of the country and the people residing near the border make for the country's strong guard."

The Prime Minister recalled his long association with the area and his continuous espousal of its importance. He also noted their support and confidence. He thanked the people of Mana for their continuous love and support.

The Prime Minister talked about the two major pillars of the developed India of the 21st century. “First, pride in our heritage and second, all possible efforts for development. Today Uttarakhand is strengthening both these pillars,” he said.

Modi underlined the need for the country to break from the "colonial mindset" which had shackled it for so long.

He said that, for a long time, the places of worship in the country have been looked down upon. “People from across the world never stop praising these shrines,” he added. Recalling the past attempts, the Prime Minister pointed out that everyone remembers what happened during the construction of the Somnath temple and Ram temple.

“The dilapidated condition of these shrines was a clear sign of the slavery mentality,” he said.

Modi said that even the paths that led to these shrines were in an extremely poor state.

“The spiritual centres of India remained neglected for decades and it was due to the selfishness of the previous governments. These people had forgotten what these spiritual centres mean to crores of Indians," he said.

He said that, despite all this, there was no decline in the faith held by the people towards these spiritual centres. “Today, Kashi, Ujjain, Ayodhya and many more spiritual centres are reclaiming their lost pride and legacy. Kedarnath, Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib are holding the faith while connecting the services with technology,” he underlined. “From Ram temple in Ayodhya to Maa Kalika temple in Pavagadh, Gujarat to Devi Vindhyachal Corridor, India is announcing its cultural and traditional upliftment.”

He said pilgrims would find it easy to reach these centres of faith and the services that are being introduced would make the lives of the elderly easier.

Modi said theese projects would also enhance the Ease of Living of people in the hilly areas and also create employment opportunities for the youth.

“Rail, roads, and ropeways bring employment with them and make life easy and empowered. These facilities enhance tourism and make transportation easy in the hilly area. Drones are also being planned to be deployed to improve logistics in these difficult areas," he said.

Praising the local products and efforts of the local self-help groups, the Prime Minister made an appeal to the people of the country. He asked the people who go for tourism in any part of the country to take out 5 per cent of their travel budget to buy local products. “This will give a big push to local products and will give immense satisfaction to you, too," he said.

He listed initiatives taken by the Government to improve facilities in the hilly areas, including electrification of villages, drinking water tap connections, health centres, and so on.

“I am happy that the Double-Engine government is giving continuous financial help for the skill development of the youth to improve the facilities of homestays. The campaign to connect the youth of the border areas with the NCC is also preparing them for a bright future,” he said.

He said particular attention had been given to improve road connectivity with the border areas.

NNN