Defence Industrial Corridor will transform Bundelkhand: PM Modi

Hamirpur, UP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the significance of some major projects, including the establishment of a Defence Industrial Corridor (DIC), that will transform the entire Bundelkhand region inUttar Pradesh.

Laying out his detailed vision for the development of Bundelkhand, PM Modi asserted that he wants the region to become the centre of industry and employment.

"The BJP government is building two defence corridors in the country. Modi decided that a defence corridor would be built in Bundelkhand, the land of heroes. Our effort is that the youth do not have to leave Bundelkhand. Our resolve is that Bundelkhand should become the centre of industry and employment," the Prime Minister said while addressing a public meeting in Hamirpur.

It was in February 2018 that Prime Minister Modi announced that one of the country's two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) will be set up in the Bundelkhand region passing through six nodes of Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot.

"There is a possibility of Rs 20,000 crore investment in this corridor, providing employment to almost 2.5 lakh people. Yogi ji's government is also going to industrialise Purvanchal and Bundelkhand by creating Purvanchal Expressway and Bundelkhand Expressway," said PM Modi.

On Friday, even as he mentioned the importance of the two defence corridors - the second one is coming up in Tamil Nadu - in providing a solid ecosystem to the defence industry, the Prime Minister slammed the Congress and opposition parties for demanding respect for Pakistan just because it has nuclear weapons.

"They say that Pakistan has a nuclear bomb... Those giving these threats do not know that the country does not even have the money to maintain it. They also say that they (Pakistan) have missiles... I want them to know that the defence corridor that we are building in Bundelkhand is also for the same purpose and not for manufacturing firecrackers," said PM Modi.

As it inches closer to its goal of achieving 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, the government led by Prime Minister Modi believes that setting up of the two DICs will add to the momentum of becoming completely self-reliant in the sector.