PM Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone of mechanization and industrialisation projects worth around Rs 3800 crores in Karnataka’s Mangaluru.
He said the government is focused on building infrastructure across the country, in order to boost development. He added that the construction of crucial infrastructure will help create jobs and new opportunities.
India is focused on the development on state of the art infrastructure, as this is the road to developed India. Through infrastructure development we can create new jobs and create new opportunities,” PM Modi said while addressing an audience in Karnataka’s Mangaluru.
PM Modi also highlighted the central government’s flagship healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat.
“Ayushman Bharat has played an important role in ensuring the poor are able to afford quality healthcare & their families do not become debt-ridden due to medical expenses. With the world’s largest insurance scheme, we have taken healthcare to the grassroots,” he added.
The prime minister also said that the government wants to boost opportunities for artisans in Karnataka through One District One Product program (ODOP)—a district-level government scheme to recognise local products and promote the same at national and international level. These efforts would open up markets for local artisans in the southern state.
“Through One District One Product program, we’ll be able to open market opportunities for artisans in Karnataka. Success of Make in India, increasing exports are crucial for development of India. To support this we’re developing our infrastructure for better logistics,” PM Modi said.
ODOP for the scheme will provide the framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure. There may be more than one cluster of ODOP products in one district. There may be a cluster of ODOP products consisting of more than one adjacent district in a state. The states would identify the food product for a district, keeping in perspective the focus of the scheme on perishables. A baseline study would be carried out by the state government.
The ODOP products could be a perishable Agri produce, cereal-based product, or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors. An illustrative list of such products includes mango, potato, litchi, tomato, tapioca, kinnu, bhujia, petha, papad, pickle, millet-based products, fisheries, poultry, meat as well as animal feed among others. Besides, certain other traditional and innovative products including waste to wealth products could be supported under the Scheme. For example, honey, minor forest products in tribal areas, traditional Indian herbal edible items like turmeric, amla, haldi, etc.
The prime minister laid foundations stone of a Rs 280-crore project for mechanisation of Berth No. 14 for handling containers and other cargo, undertaken by the New Mangalore Port Authority. He also laid the foundation stone of five projects worth around Rs 1000 crore, undertaken by the Port. He also inaugurated two projects undertaken by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited viz BS VI Upgradation Project andSea Water Desalination Plant.
