'Some can never be happy with India's progress': PM Modi renews 'naraz fufa' jibe at Congress in Vadodara

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday renewed his "naraz fufa" jibe at the Congress, saying "some people could never be happy with India's progress."The Prime Minister received an enthusiastic welcome at the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ event, with organisers saying all seats were booked within an hour of online ticket sales opening.The programme featured music and cultural performances, including a rendition of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’, as the crowd cheered for the PM.'Where will the trucks go?'Addressing the 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat' event in Vadodara, PM Modi highlighted the capacity of India’s dedicated freight corridors while taking a dig at the Congress by referring them as "naraaz fufa"."Recently, a double-stack container freight train was operated from JNPT (Mumbai) to Vadodara—meaning the train ran with one container stacked on top of another," he said."With this single trip, the volume of cargo transported from Mumbai to Vadodara was equivalent to that of over 250 trucks. Now, enter the 'naraaz fufa' figure—the one who will immediately start complaining: "What about the truck drivers? Where will the trucks go? What will happen to those who bought trucks?" Well, 'fufa' has found something to grumble about now..." he added.PM Modi said the freight corridor would reduce travel time and logistics costs while saving fuel and benefiting the environment.“Today, the work on the 2,800-kilometer corridor has been successfully completed. The Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors are now becoming the backbone of the nation's trade and commerce,” he said.'How country's work culture has transformed?'The Prime Minister also credited his government with speeding up the freight corridor project after 2014, while criticising the previous government for delays."In 2014, the people of Vadodara, Gujarat, and the entire nation sent me from Gujarat to Delhi. The previous government remained in power until 2014; you sent me there, and they were shown the door. In 7-8 years, not even a single kilometer of work on the freight corridor had been completed. Had the country been run according to their methods, who knows—even three or four subsequent generations might have passed without it ever getting done. That was the state in which they had left a project meant to transform India's logistics ecosystem. After 2014, I set about accelerating this work immediately."The Prime Minister said the project had transformed the country's logistics system and reflected a change in work culture."This Dedicated Freight Corridor stands as a testament to how the country's work culture has transformed over the last 12 years. The concept for this Dedicated Freight Corridor was first mooted in 2004... A special company was formed in 2006 to execute this project. Yet, until 2014, the files merely shuttled back and forth; they were just traveling from one table to another. And look at the irony—even these files did not get the benefit of a dedicated corridor..." he added.Event draws huge responseThe ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat Vadodara’ programme was organised as part of PM Modi's visit to the city, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects.Gujarat deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi said the programme had received an overwhelming response from residents. For the first time, online ticketing was introduced, with all available seats booked within 60 minutes. Demand was reportedly three times higher than the available capacity.Special fan zones were also set up to accommodate people who could not get seats inside the venue.Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, a ‘Viksit Bharat Padayatra’ was organised on Monday under Sanghavi’s leadership. The march began at the Faculty of Technology in Dandia Bazaar and passed through Kirti Stambh before concluding at Sursagar Lake.A cultural programme was also organised at Sursagar Lake, featuring singer Kailash Kher. ‘Swachhata Doots’ who contributed to keeping Vadodara clean were felicitated during the event.Rs 35,000 crore projects launchedDuring his visit, PM Modi inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore in Vadodara.A major highlight was the inauguration of three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and developed at a cost of more than Rs 20,700 crore.The sections connect New Sanand (North) with New Makarpura, New Umbergaon with New Saphale, and New Saphale with New JNPT in Mumbai. The connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority is expected to speed up the movement of export-import cargo, improve links between industrial centres and ports and reduce logistics costs.PM Modi also flagged off freight train services from the newly connected sections and a new passenger train between Tanda Road and Vadodara’s Pratapnagar.He dedicated the Jobat-Tanda Road new rail line to the nation. The line, developed as part of the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project, will connect remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national railway network.The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for three railway projects covering 329 km at a cost of more than Rs 9,700 crore, along with three National Highway projects worth around Rs 1,780 crore.Several Gujarat government projects worth around Rs 2,600 crore were also inaugurated or launched, including housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a water-supply project for 11 villages in eastern Vadodara, the Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road Phase II and a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam.Also read: PM Modi opens 326 km of new freight corridor sections, network now completeGet the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.