New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that projects worth over Rs 30,000 crore were reviewed at the PRAGATI session held on Wednesday.

“The works covered sectors like railways, power and road connectivity. Aspects relating to ports, Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and other social sector schemes were also discussed,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister chaired the 51st meeting of PRAGATI, the ICT-enabled, multi-modal platform aimed at fostering Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation by seamlessly integrating efforts of the Central and state governments.

During the meeting, he reviewed seven critical infrastructure projects across the railways, power, and road sectors covering nine states . He also reviewed the Ken-Betwa Link Project.

While reviewing power sector projects, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to accelerate rooftop solar adoption across urban areas, with a special focus on cities, residential clusters and public institutions. He underlined that rooftop solar should be taken up in mission mode to reduce electricity costs, improve energy security and promote clean energy at the household and community level.

While reviewing road and port connectivity projects, it was emphasised that Vadhavan Port should be developed as a model of port-led, multi-modal development, where every major mode of transport is seamlessly integrated to create a future-ready logistics ecosystem. The project should not be seen merely as a port, but as a national gateway connected through coastal shipping, inland waterways, dedicated freight corridors, high-speed rail connectivity, highways and airport linkages.

The Prime Minister emphasised the need for effective implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and underlined that the mission should move beyond infrastructure creation and ensure measurable outcomes through regular monitoring, citizen participation and convergence between various stakeholders. He asked the states to expedite the completion of solid waste management-related infrastructure, including waste processing plants and GOBARdhan plants.

While reviewing the Ken-Betwa River Inter-linking Project, the Prime Minister observed that it should serve as a model for other states to resolve inter-state water issues through cooperation, timely clearances, technology-based monitoring, and mission-mode execution. States were encouraged to identify similar opportunities where river-linking, water conservation, groundwater recharge, and efficient irrigation can be taken up in an integrated manner to ensure long-term water security.

PM Modi underlined that the delay in the implementation of public projects leads not only to cost escalation but also deprives citizens of timely access to essential facilities and development benefits. He observed that every delay has a direct impact on people’s lives, regional growth and public resources. He stressed that ministries, departments, and states must adopt a more proactive and time-bound approach to resolve pending issues, remove bottlenecks and ensure faster execution.

He also emphasised that innovative use of canal networks should be explored, including the installation of solar panels along canals and over canals for clean electricity generation. This would help optimise land use, reduce evaporation losses, generate renewable energy and create additional economic value from water infrastructure.

–IANS

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