PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi Friday flagged off the “world's longest river cruise”, from Varanasi in UP to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, saying that the country “is witnessing a level of infrastructure which was unimaginable a few years ago”. He also inaugurated the Tent City in Varanasi and laid foundation stones for schemes worth more than Rs 1,000 crore. The 51-day, 3,200-km cruise on MV Ganga Vilas was flagged off via video conference by the Prime Minister who linked the initiative to a “detailed action plan for developing waterways in big rivers of the country”. Speaking on the occasion, Modi said, “This decade of the 21st century is a decade of infrastructure transformation in India. India is witnessing a level of infrastructure which was unimaginable a few years ago. From social infrastructure like houses, toilets, hospitals, electricity, water, cooking gas, educational institutes to digital infrastructure to physical connectivity infrastructure like railways, waterways, airways and roads, all these are strong indicators of the rapid growth of India. In all the fields, India is seeing the best and biggest.” UP CM Yogi Adityanath was present at the site for the flagging-off ceremony. In his speech, the Prime Minister said that earlier, there was very little use of waterways in the country, whereas they have a history that dates back to thousands of years ago. “Post 2014, India is harnessing this ancient strength for the cause of modern India. There is a new law and detailed action plan for developing waterways in big rivers of the country,” he said. He said that there were only five national waterways in the country in 2014. Now, he said, there are 111 national waterways with about two dozen already operational. Similarly, there has been a three-fold increase in cargo transportation via river waterways from 30 lakh metric tonnes eight years ago, he said. MV Ganga Vilas is a luxury vessel with three decks, including 18 suites and a capacity of 36 tourists. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland for the entire journey with the operators estimating the cost at approximately Rs 25,000 per person per day. Referring to the Tent City, Modi said it is “infused with modernity, spirituality and faith, and will provide a novel experience to tourists”. The Prime Minister also said that the country “is entering a robust phase of tourism as with a growing global profile, curiosity about India is also increasing”. He said that in the past eight years, various steps were taken to expand the tourism sector with places of faith developed on priority. Citing Kashi as an example, he said, “With improved facilities and the rejuvenation of Kashi Vishvanath Dham, Kashi has seen a huge increase in the number of visiting devotees. This has given a massive boost to the local economy.” The Prime Minister also conveyed his wishes for Lohri and other upcoming festivals such as Uttarayan, Makar Sankranti, Bihu and Pongal. “These festivals are very important for our charity, faith, tap-tapasya and accomplishment of our resolutions. In this context, the role of our rivers is very important. This makes the projects related to river waterways all the more significant,” he said. The Prime Minister said foundation stones have been laid for the elevated road connecting Haldia Multi Modal Terminal, Ship Repair Center and Water Way Terminal in Assam to the National Highway, and the Maritime Skill Center for Northeast was inaugurated in Guwahati. “These plans are going to expand the possibilities related to trade and tourism in eastern India. New employment opportunities will be created through these,” he said, adding today's events will help in making the east a growth engine for a “developed India”, and will facilitate business from UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to Bangladesh.
