New Delhi: Prime Minster on Saturday inaugurated 9.02 km Atal Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel which will keep Ladakh connected with the rest of the country throughout the year. Atal Tunnel reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by 4-5 hours.
While addressing the gathering, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress and accused it of compromising India’s defence interests.
Hitting out at the Congress-led UPA during 2004-2014, PM Modi said that Atal Tunnel was ignored and worked slowed down on it significantly, leading to delay in its completion while incurring additional cost.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee had inaugurated the approach road to Atal Tunnel in 2002 but the project was almost forgotten after his government was gone, PM Modi said, targeting Congress-led UPA govt.
“Atal Ji laid the foundation stone of approach road of this tunnel in 2002. Once his government went out of power, this job was most likely forgotten. Till 2013-2014, progress was made only on 1,300 meters of this tunnel.
साल 2002 में अटल जी ने इस टनल के लिए अप्रोच रोड का शिलान्यास किया था।
अटल जी की सरकार जाने के बाद, जैसे इस काम को भी भुला दिया गया।
हालात ये थी कि साल 2013-14 तक टनल के लिए सिर्फ 1300 मीटर का काम हो पाया था: PM#AtalTunnel
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 3, 2020
“Experts say that if the pace of progress had continued at the same rate then the tunnel would have likely been completed by 2040. After 2014, the project progressed with unprecedented pace. Every problem which BRO faced was removed, as a result, while earlier every year 300 metre tunnel was being constructed, it was increased to 1,400 metre per year,” said PM Modi
एक्सपर्ट बताते हैं कि जिस रफ्तार से 2014 में अटल टनल का काम हो रहा था,
अगर उसी रफ्तार से काम चला होता तो ये सुरंग साल 2040 में जाकर पूरा हो पाती।
आपकी आज जो उम्र है, उसमें 20 वर्ष और जोड़ लीजिए, तब जाकर लोगों के जीवन में ये दिन आता, उनका सपना पूरा होता: PM#AtalTunnel
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 3, 2020
The Prime Minister stated, we completed 26 years work in just six years.
नतीजा ये हुआ कि जहां हर साल पहले 300 मीटर सुरंग बन रही थी, उसकी गति बढ़कर 1400 मीटर प्रति वर्ष हो गई।
सिर्फ 6 साल में हमने 26 साल का काम पूरा कर लिया: PM#AtalTunnel
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 3, 2020
The Prime Minster further listed many strategic projects, from Atal Tunnel to Daulat Beg Oldi air strip in Ladakh and Tejas fighter aircraft production which were delayed or almost forgotten and questioned as to what “compulsion” and “pressure” might have been behind it, without directly naming the Congress.
“There was no political will. I can talk about dozens of projects that are important from the strategic point of view, but for years they were neglected,” PM Modi said, hitting out at previous Congress-led governments.
“Nothing more important to us than the national interest and protecting the country, but the nation has seen an era when defence interests were compromised,” PM Modi said, in a clear swipe at the opposition party.
