MVA is 'aghadi' that stops 'vikas' in Maharashtra: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, saying that it is an 'aghadi' that stops 'vikas' (development). He also claimed that only the BJP and Mahyuti government can make Maharashtra a one trillion-dollar economy.
"It is very clear that people in Maharashtra have made up their minds that Maharashtra has to be made a 1 trillion-dollar economy. It has to be made a prosperous state. The leadership of Maharashtra has to be made even stronger. Who can do that? Only the BJP and Mahyuti Government. This is clear in the minds of people and they will vote accordingly," Vaishnaw told ANI.
He accused the Congress of having a "thought process" that was never progressive.
"There was a Congress government for almost 60 years. During this period, you will see a clear trend. Congress governments never focussed on development. Congress' thought process was never progressive. The best infrastructure works in the country and the best development works were done during the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now in the tenure of PM Narendra Modi," he said.
"Opposition in Maharashtra is not Maha Vikas Aghadi, it is basically an 'aghadi' that stops 'vikas'. They opposed the metro, Atal Setu, and coastal road and their mindset is such that there should not be any development. I don't understand why they have this mindset but it is dangerous for the country. Mahayuti government's focus is to create good facilities for middle-class and low-income families," he added.
Vaishnaw also said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his ministry is taking up several initiatives to further increase the capacity of Mumbai's local train service.
"Local (trains) are an integral part of life in Mumbai. Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, several initiatives are being undertaken to further increase the capacity of Mumbai's local train service. 301 km of new tracks will be installed at an investment of Rs 16,240 Crores...There are 12 projects, and these will be completed in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Overall capacity will significantly increase," he said.
"Today, around 3200 trains run daily. At least 300 trains will be added to it...We are also making improvements to train technology. A new version of Kavach - Kavach 5.0 will be introduced in signalling and train control technology. With this, the minimum time gap of 180 seconds will have enhanced to 150 seconds. This will result in a 15% improvement in capacity. With the increase in metro, coastal road and local capacity, transportation and commuting will be much better in the lives of Mumbaikars," he added.
Vaishnaw said that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be built in Mumbai.
"PM Narendra Modi has given a very clear vision. Like IITs, IIMs and IIITs, there should be a concept of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology. In creative world, technology plays a major role today. You must have seen RRR and Kantara; today, on average, technology plays 40-50% in films," he said.
"So, can we harness this technology and take global leadership in this? This is the vision of PM. For the implementation of this vision, the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be built in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Government has allotted land for this in Goregaon. Cabinet has approved the project and right after these elections, its foundation stone will be laid and construction work will begin. This will be a good benchmark for the world," he said.
Maharashtra will go to the polls on November 20 with the votes to be counted on November 23. (ANI)