Agra has always had a very old identity, but now with new dimensions of modernity, the city has entered the 21st century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he inaugurated phase one of the construction of the Agra Metro project on Monday. While the Prime Minister virtually joined the event, Uttar Pradesh Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath was physically present in the city.
Reflecting on previous governments, Modi said: “A big problem with infrastructure development in the country was that projects were announced but not much attention was paid to the availability of funds. Hence the projects kept creeping on for years. My government focused on starting new projects and getting funds for them ”.
The Prime Minister said that in the six years after 2014, more than 450km of metro lines have come into operation in the country and around 1000km of metro lines are in the works. He added that connectivity in western UP is increasing at a rapid rate due to modern facilities. “The country’s first rapid rail transport system is being built between Meerut and Delhi,” the prime minister said. “A 14-lane highway between Delhi-Meerut will also soon start serving the people of this region,” Modi added.
Speaking about the scope and need to boost local tourism, PM Modi said: “Improved infrastructure: better connectivity benefits our tourism sector more. It has always been my opinion that tourism is a sector in which there are ways to earn money for everyone ”.
The government has not only significantly increased the number of countries involved in the e-visa scheme, but has also significantly reduced the tax on hotel room rates, it reported.
The Agra Metro project, says an official, will facilitate the movement of around 2.5 million local residents and provide connectivity to important monuments, train stations and markets. There is optimism that seamless connectivity through the Agra Metro would help promote tourism.
The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) has set a goal of completing the first phase of the Agra metro railway project, estimated at Rs 8379.62 crore, by December 2022. The metro railway project would help boost tourism in Taj City, said Kumar Keshav, managing director of UPMRC.
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