New Delhi: In a major boost to the aviation infrastructure of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated 15 airport projects, including the revamped Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, worth over Rs.9,800 crore.

The project virtually launched by the PM during an event at Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh included 12 new terminal buildings of Pune, Kolhapur, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Delhi, Lucknow, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad, Shravasti and Adampur Airports, along with laying of the foundation stone for new terminal buildings of Kadapa, Hubballi and Belagavi airports.

“Azamgarh, which was counted among the backward areas, is writing a new chapter of development today,” Modi said.

The PM said that the Gwalior terminal was completed in just 16 months. “This initiative will make air travel easier and accessible for the common citizens of the country,” he said.

Emphasizing that the record of the government of completing announced projects in time repudiates the allegation of these projects being election gimmicks, Modi said, “People are seeing that Modi is made of different material. I am working relentlessly to create a Viksit Bharat.”

Along with airports, highways and railway infrastructure, projects related to education, water and the environment also received a new push on Sunday.

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Giving a new guarantee to the people of Azamgarh, Modi said, “Azamgarh will remain ‘Aajanm’ a ‘Vikas ka Garh’ (bastion of development forever).” He said that with an airport, hospital and medical college, Azamgarh is no longer dependent on the neighbouring big cities.

In an indirect jibe to the Congress, Modi said that in the last 10 years, the region has seen politics of development in place of the earlier politics of appeasement and dynasty. “This trend got a new momentum under the leadership of the chief minister Yogi Adityanath,” he said.

He said cities such as Aligarh, Moradabad, Azamgarh, and Shravasti, which were ignored as backward areas of Uttar Pradesh are getting air connectivity due to rapid overall development, and just like welfare schemes, modern infrastructure is moving beyond metro cities to small towns and villages.

“Small cities have equal rights to airports and good highways as big metro cities. We are increasing the strength of the tier 2 and tier 3 cities so that urbanization continues unabated,” Modi said.

Emphasizing on the importance of connectivity and infrastructure development in the region, the PM referred to the inauguration and foundation-laying ceremonies of several railway projects, including those connecting districts like Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Gazipur, and Prayagraj. Azamgarh, Mau and Balia received the gift of many railway projects.

In addition to railway projects, Modi underscored the government’s commitment to rural infrastructure development through the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

“More than 5,000 kilometres of roads have been inaugurated under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, aiming to improve connectivity for the farmers and youth of Eastern Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

The PM also highlighted the government’s focus on ensuring fair prices for farmers’ produce. He spoke about the substantial increase in minimum support price (MSP) for various crops, including sugarcane, stating, “Today, MSP for sugarcane farmers has been increased by eight per cent, reaching Rs.340 per quintal.”

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Modi also addressed the historical challenges faced by sugarcane farmers in the region. “Our government has settled pending dues worth thousands of crores for sugarcane farmers, providing them timely and fair payment,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the 12 new terminal buildings will have a combined capacity to serve 62 million passengers annually, while for the three terminal buildings, whose foundation stone is being laid, once completed, the combined passenger handling capacity of these airports will increase to 9.5 million passengers per annum.

These terminal buildings have state-of-the-art passenger amenities and are also equipped with various sustainability features like a double insulated roofing system, provision of canopies for energy saving, LED lighting etc.

The designs of these airports are influenced and derived from the common elements of heritage structures of that state and city, thus reflecting the local culture and highlighting the heritage of the region.

In the event, which was attended by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and several others, the PM also dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of several road projects worth around Rs.11,500 crore in Uttar Pradesh.

The road projects will improve connectivity, help reduce traffic congestion and will lead to socioeconomic development in the region. Modi also dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of several road projects worth more than Rs.19,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh.