Vadodara:- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday targeted the previous Congress-led government over the "slow pace of development", saying that the "angry uncle" (naraz foofa) would now raise questions about the impact of the dedicated freight corridor on truck drivers. Addressing a public meeting in Vadodara, Gujarat, after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of projects worth ?35,000 crore, Modi said, "Since 2014, India has built 50,000 modern rail coaches. The previous (Congress) government could not even build 50,000 toilets in 10 years."
Modi inaugurated three major sections of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (Western). This corridor connects Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai with Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. With the inauguration of these sections, the project has been completed. Modi said, "Dedicated Freight Corridors are the lifelines of a rapidly developing India. This modern freight network is accelerating the pace of transformation in the country." He said that earlier, passenger and freight trains had to share the same tracks, which slowed down both types of transportation, but the Dedicated Freight Corridor has changed this situation.
Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "Now, the 'angry uncle' will shout and ask what will happen to the truck drivers. The 'uncle' has now got some work. When I reached Delhi in 2014 with your blessings, we immediately started accelerating work on this project. Today, work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor has been completed." Modi further said that these freight corridors are becoming the backbone of the country's trade and commerce. He said that the 2,800-kilometre-long Dedicated Freight Corridor is proof of how the country's work culture has changed over the last 12 years.
Modi said, "The idea of this Dedicated Freight Corridor was first proposed in 2004. A special company was established for this project in 2006, yet by 2014, the files kept moving from one place to another. Unfortunately, it seemed that these files were not meant for a 'dedicated corridor' either; they would get stuck, remain idle, and keep wandering from one place to another without any purpose."