Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the much-awaited Kochi Rail Metro on Saturday. The internet is flooding with posts and pictures Modi inaugurating the project and him travelling in the metro with some other leaders.
There has been such a lot of hype about the new metro rail because of a number of reasons that make it distinctive. It is the first metro rail network in the country that will have transgenders as its employees. Also, a number of train drivers happen to be women.
However, it is interesting to note that the metro and Dhola-Sadiya bridge have something common between them.
The foundation stone of these projects was laid by the UPA, as NDA had not risen to power then. Moreover, Modi is the flag-waver of both these projects of the UPA era.
The foundation stone of the metro rail was laid on 13 September 2012 by former PM, Manmohan Singh. Its construction began a year later, with the UPA government still in power.
Notably, both these projects could be viewed as far-sighted visions of the UPA, but seem to have become headlines as they were inaugurated by the PM, with the NDA in power.
The construction of the Dhola Sadiya bridge also commenced during the UPA’s reign in 2011. The Ministry of Road Transport along with Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd collaborated to construct the largest bridge of the country.
Its construction continued till early this year and finally, after five years, India got its largest bridge.
It was again PM Modi who inaugurated the bridge on May 26 this year. The inauguration was seen as a grand occasion as it marked the completion of BJP-led NDA government’s three years in power in the Centre. The inauguration of the bridge seemed to be a part of these celebrations. The BJP may have been this as an opportunity to celebrate the party’s rule not only in the centre in the state as well, as the party had a stunning victory in assembly polls last year. Assam had earlier been a Congress stronghold.
Tarun Gogoi’s tenure of over a decade came to an end when the state handed over the victory to BJP’s Sarbananda Sonowal.
Interestingly, PM Modi used all his might and decided to rename the bridge after noted Indian musician and poet, Bhupen Hazarika.
In both these projects, it was the UPA who initiated the project work, but some way, all the glamour and limelight surrounding their inauguration was taken away by the NDA government.
It is just a matter of time and coincidence that the inauguration of two of the most talked-about and much-awaited projects was inaugurated by the leader, whose party was not very much behind the initial stages of their beginnings.
But great as it may sound, it would be good to hear that these projects were inaugurated by the ‘Prime Minister’ of India.
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