The Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various rail and road projects worth over Rs 83 billion in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu today. Earlier, he inaugurated the new Pamban Rail Bridge - India’s first vertical lift sea bridge and flagged off a train and a ship from the road bridge and witnessed the operation of the bridge. He also performed darshan and pooja at Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Modi said that today marks the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. He said that earlier today, the divine rays of the sun adorned Ram Lalla with a grand tilak at the magnificent Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. “Lord Shri Ram's life and the inspiration of good governance from his reign serve as a significant foundation for nation-building”, he said. Adding that Tamil Nadu's Sangam-era literature also mentions Lord Shri Ram, he extended heartfelt greetings to all citizens on the occasion of Shri Ram Navami from the sacred land of Rameshwaram. “I feel blessed to have prayed at the Ramanathaswamy temple today”, said Modi, adding that on this special day, he had the opportunity to hand over development projects worth Rs 83 billion. He stressed that these rail and road projects will significantly boost connectivity in Tamil Nadu. He congratulated the people in Tamil Nadu for these transformative initiatives. Noting that Rameswaram is the land of Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam, whose life demonstrated how science and spirituality complement each other, the Prime Minister said, “the new Pamban bridge to Rameswaram symbolizes the union of technology and tradition”. He emphasised that a town thousands of years old is now connected by a 21st-century engineering marvel. He expressed gratitude to the engineers and workers for their dedication and hard work. Modi highlighted that this bridge is India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge, allowing big ships to sail underneath while enabling faster train travel. He mentioned flagging off a new train service and a ship earlier today and congratulated the people of Tamil Nadu for this remarkable project. Underlining that the demand for this bridge had persisted for many decades, Modi said that, with the blessings of the people, the privilege of completing this work was achieved. He emphasised that the Pamban bridge supports both Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Travel, positively impacting the lives of lakhs of people. The Prime Minister underscored that the new train service will enhance connectivity from Rameswaram to Chennai and other parts of the country. He added that this development will benefit trade and tourism in Tamil Nadu, while also creating new job and business opportunities for the youth. “In the past 10 years, India has doubled the size of its economy”, mentioned Modi, highlighting that one of the key reasons for this rapid growth is the country's remarkable modern infrastructure. He stressed that in the last decade, the budget for infrastructure such as railways, roads, airports, ports, electricity, water, and gas pipelines has increased nearly sixfold. “Today, mega projects are progressing rapidly across the country”, he exclaimed pointing out that in the North, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, one of the world's tallest rail bridges, has been constructed. He added that in the West, Mumbai is now home to the country's longest sea bridge, the Atal Setu. He further added that in the East, the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam stands as a testament to progress, while in the South, the Pamban Bridge, one of the world's few vertical lift bridges, has been completed. The Prime Minister further highlighted that the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors are nearing completion. He emphasized that work is progressing rapidly on the country's first bullet train, while modern trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat are making the rail network more advanced. Stressing that when every region of India connects with one another, the path to becoming a developed nation strengthens, Modi said that this has been the case in every developed nation and region across the world. He emphasized that as every state in India connects, the full potential of the country is being realized. He noted that this connectivity is benefiting every region of the nation, including Tamil Nadu. “Tamil Nadu plays a significant role in India's journey toward becoming a developed nation”, exclaimed the Prime Minister, underscoring that as Tamil Nadu's potential grows, India's growth will accelerate further. He emphasised that over the past decade, the central government has allocated three times more funds for Tamil Nadu's development compared to the period before 2014. He noted that this increased funding has greatly contributed to Tamil Nadu's economic and industrial growth. Underlining that infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu is a priority for the Government of India, Modi highlighted that over the past decade, Tamil Nadu's railway budget has increased more than sevenfold. He added that before 2014, rail projects in Tamil Nadu received only Rs 9 billion annually, while this year, the railway budget for Tamil Nadu exceeds Rs 60 billion. He further highlighted that the Government of India is modernizing 77 railway stations in the state, including the Rameswaram station. Pointing out the significant progress that has been made in the development of rural roads and highways over the last ten years, the Prime Minister highlighted that since 2014, with the support of the central government, 4,000 kilometers of roads have been constructed in Tamil Nadu, adding that the elevated corridor connecting Chennai Port will be another example of remarkable infrastructure. He further mentioned that today, foundation stones were laid and inaugurations were conducted for road projects worth approximately Rs 80 billion. He said that these projects will enhance connectivity across various districts of Tamil Nadu and also improve links with Andhra Pradesh. The Prime Minister noted that modern public transport systems like the Chennai Metro are enhancing ease of travel in Tamil Nadu, emphasising that extensive infrastructure development leads to the creation of new jobs across various sectors. Underscoring the record investments in social infrastructure in India during the last decade, Modi expressed happiness that crore of families in Tamil Nadu have benefited from these initiatives. He highlighted that in the last 10 years, more than 4 crore pucca houses have been provided to poor families across the country, including over 12 lakh pucca houses built in Tamil Nadu under the PM Awas Yojana. He further emphasized that in the past decade, nearly 120 million rural families have received piped water for the first time. He noted that this includes 10.11 million families in Tamil Nadu, who now have access to tap water in their homes for the first time. “Providing quality and affordable healthcare to citizens is a commitment of our government”, said the Prime Minister, highlighting that under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, over 10 million treatments have been conducted in Tamil Nadu, saving expenses of Rs 80 billion for families in the state. He further emphasised that Tamil Nadu has over 1,400 Jan Aushadhi Kendras, where medicines are available at discounts of up to 80 per cent. He noted that these affordable medicines have resulted in savings of Rs 7 billion for the people.