Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated developmental projects worth more than Rs 16,800 crores at Deoghar, saying these projects would give a huge impetus to connectivity, energy, healthcare, faith, and tourism in Jharkhand.

”Along with connectivity, the central government is focusing on the creation of facilities at important places related to faith and spirituality in the country,” he pointed out while addressing a gathering.

The PM remarked that the country has been working for the last eight years with the thinking that the development of the states was critical for the development of the country. In the last 8 years, efforts have been made to connect Jharkhand by highways, railways, airways, and waterways. All these facilities would positively impact the economic development of the state, he added.

Modi noted that Jharkhand was getting its second airport. This would lead to tremendous ease for devotees of Baba Baidyanath. In the context of making air travel affordable for the common man through the UDAN scheme, the PM said the benefits of the efforts of the government were now visible across the country. About 70 new locations have been added through airports, heliports, and water aerodromes in the last 5-6 years under the UDAN scheme.

”Today, ordinary citizens are getting the facility of air travel on more than 400 new routes. More than one crore people have experienced very affordable air travel, many for the first time,” he pointed out.

The PM expressed happiness that the flight from Deoghar to Kolkata started today and flights for Ranchi, Delhi and Patna would start soon. Work was on for airports in Bokaro and Dumka, he added.

He also highlighted the benefits of the country’s effort to enhance the gas-based economy for the state of Jharkhand.

The PM said the government was following the ‘mantra’ of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas. New avenues of development, employment-self-employment were being discovered by investing in infrastructure.

”We have laid emphasis on aspiration for development, focused on aspirational districts,” he said, underlining the benefits of these initiatives for Jharkhand.

Referring to the spread of modern facilities beyond big cities, the PM said these projects were proof that when steps were taken for improving ease of life for common citizens, national assets were created and new opportunities for national development emerged. “This is the right development and we have to collectively accelerate this development”, he said.