Page 9 - NIS English 01-15 November 2022

PM's visit to Gujarat NATION
A BOOSTER DOSE

OF DEVELOPMENT FOR GUJARAT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extensive
administrative experience and completed
his 21 years on constitutional posts on
October 7. In 2001 when he became Chief
Minister of Gujarat he faced the challenge of
rehabilitation in the state which was reeling
from the earthquake. There were many
challenges before him including shortage of
water for drinking and irrigation, drought, and
electricity. He not only took the challenges
head-on but during his tenure of about twelve
and a half years as Chief Minister, he brought
the development of Gujarat to the forefront
as a model. After becoming Prime Minister
he worked hard to take the country forward
with this vision, and at the same time, give
development projects to his home state Gujarat
on every visit.

n October 9-11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
once again gifted more than Rs 14 thousand
Ocrores of development works in 4 districts of
Gujarat. On his second visit to Gujarat within only
10 days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared
Modhera village in Mehsana as the country's first
24x7 solar-powered village. He also inaugurated and
laid foundation stones for development projects worth
more than Rs 3900 crores. In 2011 he has envisaged
Modhera to totally become a solar-powered village.
At that time he had said, “There is an infrastructure
cost, maintenance cost in transporting electricity
from the power station to the village. Suppose a solar
power plant is put in the same village, for the need
of the village. So one should calculate which one is
less expensive. My Ahmedabadi mind says that solar
plant will be less expensive.
Fulfilling his vision 11 years later, when he declared
Modhera as India's first 24x7 solar-powered village,
he said, "Now Modhera will always be part of any
discussion about solar energy anywhere in the world."
Along with this, Prime Minister Modi dedicated 10

New India Samachar November 1-15, 2022 7