Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the completion of the much-delayed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, more than 12 years after the work started on January 31, 2006, presented contrasting pictures of the work culture of the Bharatiya Janata Party governments and the functioning of the previous government.
He added that his government was working towards an integrated infrastructure system involving roadways, railways, waterways and i-ways to meet the needs of the 21st century.
Mr. Modi was addressing “Jan Vikas Rally” at Sultanpur village here to mark the opening of 83km Kundli-Manesar section of the Western Peripheral Expressway or KMP Expressway. The 53 km-long Manesar-Palwal section was thrown open two years ago.
Mr. Modi also inaugurated the Mujesar-Ballabhgarh metro link via video conferencing and flagged off the first train on the route.
In a scathing attack on then Congress government, Mr. Modi said the culture of the previous government to mislead and cause delays had inflicted huge losses to the nation.
Unsafe, says Cong.
Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, however, accused the BJP governments of opening the Kundli-Manesar section of the expressway without “completion certificate” and putting the lives of the commuters at risk.
The Haryana government denied the charges.
PTI adds...
Addressing a public gathering in Sultanpur later, Mr. Modi said that with the inauguration of the KMP project, Ballabhgarh-Mujesar rail link and the foundation stone for the skill varsity being laid, Haryana had taken one more step towards all-round development. “Today is important for Haryana.”
With the inauguration of the Kundli-Manesar section, the entire 135 km stretch of the KMP had been completed. The occasion was to remember two pictures — one, when a work was done and completed with determination which, he said, was reflective of his government; and the second one showed and reminded people of how work was done during the previous regime.
“That picture reminds us that work on this expressway had been going on for 12 years...This project should have been completed 8-9 years ago, but it did not happen,” he said.
“ Atkana, bhatkana aur latkana wale sanskriti mein [the culture of creating obstacles, misguiding and delaying]... Haryana ka, janta ka kitna nuksan kiya hai [caused loss to the people],” he said.
The KMP project was to be completed much earlier and used during the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, but that did not happen. The cost had escalated manifold from Rs. 1,200 crore earlier, he noted.
While the KMP Expressway and the metro rail link projects would help in bringing revolution in connectivity, the university would empower youth at the same time.
Mr. Modi said that when the NDA government came to power, he himself held meetings pertaining to this project and did regular follow-ups with the present Haryana government.
Inaugrations from Sultanpur village
The Prime Minister, on arriving at Sultanpur village in Gurugram district, went around a visual art exhibition pertaining to the KMP project and briefed by officials.
The inaugurations and foundation-laying functions were done by the Prime Minister through remote from Sultanpur.
Mr. Modi was accompanied by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Ministers Birender Singh and Rao Inderjit Singh, who is also the Gurugram MP. Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya was also present.
A sum of Rs 6,400 crore haD been spent on the expressway project and 3,846 acres were acquired at a cost of Rs 2,788 crore, a Haryana government spokesperson said.
The length of the stretch from Kundli to Manesar is over 83 km. This stretch has 14 major or minor bridges, 56 underpass or agricultural vehicular underpasses, seven intersections and seven toll plazas.
The expressway will decongest the road traffic from Delhi, especially reducing the number of trucks entering the national capital, helping reduce the pollution.
Besides, the project will also provide high-speed link between northern Haryana and southern districts and provide uninterrupted high-speed link for traffic, especially commercial traffic, from Haryana to the neighbouring States.
