Tag Archives: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Navi Mumbai International Airport. At a function in Navi Mumbai, he also dedicated the fourth container terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The Prime Minister said that the Navi Mumbai airport project has been pending for years. He said delayed projects cause many problems, and the PRAGATI initiative had been initiated, to give priority to completion of projects. Also present were Maharashtra Governor C. V. Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, and Ramdas Athawale. He said India’s aviation sector is growing tremendously, and there is a sharp increase in the number of people flying. This makes quality infrastructure in the aviation sector of prime importance, he added. The Prime Minister said that the Union Government has brought an aviation policy that is transforming the sector. He added that a strong aviation sector also gives more economic opportunities. Better connectivity leads to more tourists coming to India, he said. The Prime Minister said that the Government of India is devoting significant efforts towards the development of waterways.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flaged off third Mahamana Express on September 22, 2017, to ply between Varanasi and Vadodara through video conferencing from Varanasi. On this occasion, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal, Dy. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitinbhai Patel were present at Vadodara station, while Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways & Minister of Communications (Independent Charge), Govt. of India, were present at Surat Railway station. The train, in its inaugural service, will run as special train with the Train No. 09103 Vadodara – Varanasi Special and will depart from Vadodara on Friday, September 22, 2017, and reach Varanasi on Saturday, September 23, 2017. Similarly, in return direction, the special trip with Train No. 09104 Varanasi – Vadodara Special will depart from Varanasi at 22.00 hrs on Saturday, September 23, 2017, and will reach Vadodara at 01.50 hrs on Monday, September 25, 2017. After the inaugural trip, a regular service from September 27, 2017, onwards, Train No. 20903 Vadodara – Varanasi Weekly Superfast Mahamana Express will depart from Vadodara on every Wednesday at 19.40 hrs and will reach Varanasi at 22.20 hrs the next day. Similarly, in return direction w.e.f September 29, 2017, onwards, Train No. 20904 Varanasi – Vadodara Weekly Superfast Mahamana Express will depart from Varanasi on every Friday at 06.10 hrs and will reach Vadodara at 09.40 hrs the next day. The train will halt at Bharuch, Surat, Amalner, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Satna and Chheoki stations in both directions. The train will have I AC, II AC, Sleeper Class and II Class General Coaches. Two Mahamana Express are already in service namely 22163/22164 Bhopal – Khajuraho Mahamana Express and 22417/22418 Varanasi New Delhi Mahamana Express.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for India’s first high speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on Sep 14, 2017. PM Modi addressed a public meeting on the same occasion and reiterated the ambition and will power of the new India. He said that the bullet train will provide the speed and progress that India has been waiting for. The PM went on to say that focus of the project was to increase productivity via high speed connectivity. Modi didn’t forget to appreciate Japan’s technical and financial help for the project. The project will not only bring Mumbai and Ahmedabad closer, but also bring the people living hundreds of kilometres away closer to each other. The Prime Minister also informed that a new economic system is being developed along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, thus making the entire area a single economic zone. “Technology is useful only if it provides benefit to the common man,” said PM Modi. The project will not only benefit the Indian railways, but also give a boost to the Make in India campaign. The project will be eco-friendly and the high-speed corridor would be the regions of rapid growth in the future. The PM expressed his confidence that people would work together to finish the project in the shortest possible time.

India and Japan have signed an agreement that will allow their airlines to operate unlimited number of flights between the two countries. The pact followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe holding strategic discussions on a wide range of issues. An official release said India and Japan exchanged RoD (Record of Discussions) on civil aviation cooperation with respect to open sky. “It opens skies between India and Japan ie. Indian and Japanese carriers can mount now unlimited number of flights to the selected cities of each other’s countries,” the release said. The National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, allows the government to enter into an ‘open sky’ air services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries beyond a 5,000 kilometre radius from New Delhi. Currently, Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines — fly into India while Air India and Jet Airways -1.60 % operate services to Japan. ast year India signed open sky agreements with Greece, Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka. India also has open sky agreement with the US, among other countries. Last week, full service carrier Vistara had announced plans to enter into a code share partnership with Japan Airlines by next year. Vistara is also likely to unveil plans for international operations soon and Japan is on the radar, it had said. (Source: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Israel has announced plans to launch flight service to Tel Aviv from Delhi and Mumbai. He made the announcement addressing the Indian diaspora in Israel on Wednesday, and urged the community to make frequent visits to India with this flight. The Prime Minister promised to ease the process of acquiring Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards by Israelis of Indian origin. Now, people of Indian community who have done compulsory army service in Israel will be eligible for OCI cards. He also announced that an Indian Cultural Centre would be set up in Israel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that starting August 2017, Air India will operate direct flights between Colombo and Varanasi. The announcement was made during the Prime Minister’s visit to Sri Lanka to attend the International Vesak Day. The new flight would encourage Buddhists from both the countries to visit the religious sites in the respective countries. Modi said that Buddhism and its various strands are deep seated in Indian culture, politics and philosophy and invited people from Sri Lanka to come visit the land of Kashi in Varanasi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched UDAN – the Regional Connectivity Scheme for civil aviation, from Shimla Airport. Under this scheme, flights have begun today from Shimla, Nanded and Kadapa airports. The Shimla-Delhi flight will be operated by Air India, which opened the bookings for the same on Tuesday with all-inclusive fares starting at Rs 2,036. The Prime Minister addressed the gathering at Shimla Airport, and also at Nanded and Kadapa via video link. He said that with this launch dreams of middle class will take flight. “The lives of the middle class are being transformed and their aspirations are increasing. Earlier, aviation was considered to be the domain of a select few. That has changed now,” he said.

India will soon open its sixth consulate in Seattle to cater to the needs of large number of Indian-Americans living in the North West part of the US. “We hope to open a new Indian consulate in Seattle,” Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said after the conclusion of the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama at the White House. This was reflected in a joint statement issued after Modi-Obama talks. “Both sides committed to open additional consulates in each other’s country. India will be opening a new consulate in Seattle and the US will open a new consulate at a mutually agreed location in India,” the joint statement said. Apart from its embassy in Washington, India currently have consulates in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta.

Nagpur-based Western Coalfields Limited’s effort to promote eco-friendly Mine Tourism at a green zone within a coal mining belt at Saoner village, found its mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ speech. Modi who has been encouraging people to tour different parts of the country in his speeches, said Coal India deserves special mention for creating such a facility. He said that works like WCL’s eco-park at Saoner which has drawn 10,000 visitors so far can change the mindset.The eco-park, which was started in November 2015, is a major attraction situated at around 40 km from the city. It is a forested route up to two km from the Saoner town. The park has a water body, bamboo plantation and most of the natural forest has been kept in its original shape. Around 500 visitors come here on weekly basis and the entry, is free, he said. “Normally the very name of a coal mine gives an impression that one should stay away from such a place. The pictures available show that it may not be worthwhile visiting a mining area. However, WCL has turned a coal mine into an attractive tourist spot. Developing an eco-friendly tourist circuit in a coal mine area is indeed a novel idea,” Modi said in his speech.