Kevadiya in Gujarat is a perfect example of how planning can improve the ecology and economy of a place, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
Addressing the ceremony after he flagged off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Kevadiya, the Prime Minister pointed out that in just a few years time, Kevadiya, a small village, as emerged as a global tourist destination.
"A survey pointed out that as the connectivity in the area is increasing, around one lakh people will visit Kevadiya each day in the future. The small and beautiful Kevadiya is an example of how with planning, the ecology and economy of a place can be improved," PM Modi said.
He said when the proposal to convert Kevadiya into a global tourist destination was presented, most people thought it was an achievable task in a short time, but in just a few years, the tourist destination has emerged as a complete family package.
"I remember, when the proposal to convert Kevadiya into a wonderful global tourist destination was presented, people thought that it was just a dream. They used to say it was not possible, and the project will take decades. And their point of view was also right based on their past experience. There were no broad roads connecting Kevadiya to other places. There were neither enough street lights on the road, nor rail connectivity nor enough arrangements for tourists to stay. In its rural setting, Kevadiya was just like any other villages in the country," he said.
"But today in just a few years, the picture of Kevadiya has changed. There are broad roads to reach the place. There are proper arrangements for tourists to stay among other facilities. The sea plane service has started in the area and now with the launch of these trains, the rail connectivity of the place is also increased. It has emerged as a complete family package," the Prime Minister added.
The eight trains started for Kevadiya aim to facilitate seamless connectivity to the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rup and Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal were also present on the occasion.
The trains flagged off include 09103/04 Kevadiya-Varanasi Mahamana Express (Weekly), 02927/28 Dadar-Kevadiya Express (Daily), 09247/48 Ahmedabad-Kevadiya Janshatabdi Express (Daily), 09145/46 Nizamuddin - Kevadia Sampark Kranti Express (Bi-Weekly), 09105/06 Kevadia - Rewa Express (Weekly), 09119/20 Chennai - Kevadia Express (Weekly), 09107/08 Pratapnagar-Kevadia MEMU train (Daily) and 09109/10 Kevadiya-Pratapnagar MEMU train (Daily).
( With inputs from ANI )
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