Bihar: PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat Express from Patliputra to Gorakhpur, unveil Rs 9,300 crore projects
The event is being held at Patliputra Junction, where senior BJP leaders and local officials have gathered for the ceremonial flag-off.
Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, 'We are here to flag off the Vande Bharat train. The Prime Minister truly loves Bihar and is always concerned about its development. Every time he visits, projects worth thousands of crores are launched or inaugurated.'
In addition to the Vande Bharat Express, the Prime Minister's visit will also include the launch and foundation-laying of several urban and transport development projects in Bihar.
Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin told ANI that schemes worth over Rs 6,000 crore are being unveiled today, including the Patna-Gorakhpur Expressway and the inauguration of the state's largest sewage treatment plant under the Namami Gange initiative.
Calling these developments a 'major gift' for Bihar, Nabin added, 'These projects will significantly improve connectivity and infrastructure in the region. We are grateful to the Hon'ble Prime Minister.'
However, the visit sparked criticism from opposition leaders. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari alleged that such visits were timed for political advantage. 'The PM conducts visits and does inaugurations in a state when elections are approaching. This will continue till November,' he said.
Responding to criticism from opposition parties, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, 'They are calling today a 'rain of lies'--but is the Vande Bharat train a lie? Are highways and sewer plants fiction? Development speaks for itself. Those who refuse to see it are the ones losing ground politically.'
Executive Director of Information and Publicity (EDIP) at the Railway Board, Dilip Kumar, told ANI, 'Vande Bharat Express, Namo Rapid Rail, and Amrit Bharat Express constitute the trinity of the modern transport system of Indian Railways, and to strengthen this trinity, the new Vande Bharat will start today. This train will be run between Patliputra and Gorakhpur stations and will cover the distance between both stations in 7 hours'
'This train goes on from places where the transportation system of Vande Bharat didn't exist... This makes it the first Vande Bharat in this area, and it is crucial since one section of society has been demanding this for a long time...,' he added.
The Prime Minister's visit is being closely watched as it comes months ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, where infrastructure and connectivity are expected to be key electoral issues. (ANI)
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