PM Modi takes ‘Naraaz Fufa’ dig at Opposition as freight corridor project is completed

Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the completion of the 2,800-km Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, saying the projects have transformed freight movement and strengthened India's trade and logistics network.

Addressing the 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat' event in Vadodara, Modi said the Dedicated Freight Corridors have emerged as the backbone of the country's trade and commerce. He also inaugurated three key sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai with Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

Freight movement gets faster

Modi said more than 430 freight trains now operate daily on the Eastern and Western corridors. According to him, a freight train that earlier took around 6.5 hours to cover 100 km can now complete the journey in less than half that time.

He said the corridor has also reduced the time taken to transport goods compared with road travel. A journey that could take around 30 hours by truck can now be completed in 10 to 12 hours through the freight corridor, helping reduce fuel use, logistics costs and travel time.

Highlighting the capacity of double-stack container trains, Modi said a recent service from JNPT to Vadodara carried cargo equivalent to more than 250 trucks in a single trip.

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'Naraaz fufa' remark

Modi took a dig at the opposition while highlighting the shift from road to rail freight. Referring to critics as the "naraaz fufa" (angry uncle), he said they would question what the freight corridor meant for truck drivers and those who had invested in trucks.

Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said the critics would now have something to complain about.

He also criticised the previous Congress-led government over the pace of the freight corridor project. Modi said the idea was conceived in 2004 and a special company was formed in 2006, but no kilometre of the corridor had been completed during the seven to eight years before 2014.

He said the project was accelerated after he became prime minister in 2014.
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Modi highlights development push

Modi said the completion of the freight corridors reflected a change in India's work culture and would strengthen the country's transportation and logistics infrastructure.

He also said the government was moving towards providing free online coaching by top teachers for students preparing for competitive examinations, with the aim of reducing the financial burden on poor and middle-class families.

At the Vadodara event, Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore, including railway, highway and Gujarat government projects.