Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM lays foundation stone for Bangalore - Electronic City Elevated Highway

"Namaskara! On this happy occasion, I convey my greetings to the people of Karnataka. For me this is a very important visit to your great State. Our UPA government has been working very hard in Delhi over the last two years to promote the development of Karnataka and I am happy that many of these projects are finally taking off. I could not land in Mangalore yesterday for laying the foundation stone of a major petrochemical complex. But it will be done soon and work will begin without any delay. Today, work on two more important projects will begin. Each of these projects will generate new employment, both for urban and rural youth, and will bring in new investment into Karnataka.

Today, I am happy to lay the foundation stone for the construction of an elevated highway connecting Bangalore with the Electronic City. I compliment my esteemed colleagues Thiru T R Baalu and Shri Muniyappa for the special interest they have taken in getting this project going.

This highway is in fact, a symbol of what Bangalore has come to represent.

You are on the highway of rapid progress in our country, while many other regions continue to remain behind, moving slowly. It is through your success, your hard work, your creativity and enterprise that you inspire all of us to dream of a better future.

Today, we need this elevated highway above so that those who function in a fast moving and rapidly growing economy can keep pace with the competition they face. I am sure a day will come when every highway and road will enable faster movement. The dualism that this project represents is a transitory phenomenon of development. In time, we want an India in which every one of us can move along the same highway. That is my dream.

The urban landscape of India is changing rapidly. In a few years, almost 40% of our population will be residing in urban areas. These urban areas must be seen as engines of growth, as places where there are economies of scale and scope and hence, as hubs of economic, commercial and social activity. As the benefits of urbanization spread into rural areas, and as rural development itself brings urban facilities to rural areas, the nature of commuting between town and country will change.

Today, we see poor people from villages coming into cities for work. Tomorrow, we could see economically better off persons living in rural areas commuting to the city for pleasure rather than business. We could see increased demand for better quality public transport between town and country. We will certainly see greater demand for connectivity between production centers and markets. We will also see greater demand for rapid transport between urban centers closely located. Our existing road system does not as yet cater to these kinds of demand. We must, therefore, strengthen these links between urban and rural areas, as well as between cities in close proximity. This is extremely important if the benefits of development have to move beyond the limited confines of cities to our vast hinterland; so that the millions of toiling farmers can also become partners in progress.

Some people wrongly pose the question of development as a conflict between city and village. This is a false notion. No country can develop if its villages do not develop. Mahatma Gandhi told us all, very wisely and sagely, that India lives in its villages. So it does today. So, when we seek the modernization of our economy, when we seek development for our people, when we seek to build an industrialized country, when we seek to create a knowledge economy - all of this must benefit both town and country, both city and village. And it can. And roads and highways are the means to achieving it.

The Central Government has taken many initiatives in providing world class road connectivity around Bangalore. We are six laning the Bangalore-Nelamangala stretch of NH-4, including a 4 km. long elevated corridor. We are four laning the Bangalore-Devanahalli section of NH-7 with some parts being six laned. And the Bangalore-Kolar section of NH-4 is being four laned. These projects will greatly facilitate travel to and from Bangalore.

The UPA Government has speeded up the construction and development of National Highways in the country. The entire programme has been expanded and funding has been steeply increased. We now have a road programme under NHDP costing over Rs 2,20,000 crores to be completed in the next 7 to 8 years.

The National Highway Development Project which had two phases has been expanded to seven phases covering most parts of the country. To the NHDP I and II, we have added NHDP III under which 11,000 km of high traffic density highways connecting State capitals and important centers of tourism and economic activity are being developed. And most importantly, these are being developed largely through a Public Private Partnership mode. The investment on this Phase will be Rs.55,000 crore. It will be our endeavour to complete the ongoing projects expeditiously. I urge the ministry of surface transport and the NHAI to work with renewed vigor and commitment to deliver on their assurances to the people of the nation.

I want the NHAI to function like any modern corporate organization. With a focus on efficiency, on competence, on transparency and, above all, on customer satisfaction.

In addition, we will be six-laning the Golden Quadrilateral; improving 20,000 km of 2-lane highways; developing 1000 km of access controlled expressways; and constructing bypasses and ring roads in and around important cities. I must say that all this has been possible in a short time frame because we have adopted new ways of functioning; a new approach to attracting private investment; and a new system of contracting where efficiency and economy are rewarded.

We want to tap private sector funds for development of infrastructure as well as harness its efficiency for ensuring quality and timely delivery of projects. Our experience with PPP has been very encouraging. We are quite confident that we will generate adequate public and private resources for this vast enterprise. I look forward to the day when the face of this nation will be changed by a dense network of world class highways, reaching out to the farthest corners of the country.

The country is witnessing a road revolution, in the same manner as we had seen the green revolution and the white revolution in the past. Improved highways mean higher travel speeds and greater risk to the road users as well as the communities living close by. I am sorry to say that our record in highway safety leaves much to be desired. Nearly one lakh people are getting killed in road accidents every year. We have to reverse this trend. We have to make road safety awareness, both in urban areas and on national highways, a major national campaign.

People must learn road manners. How to give way to pedestrians, how to observe normal rules while overtaking, how to park and when not to blow a horn. These are simple rules, but their observance makes a lot of difference to our daily lives. We Indians behave with great courtesy at home and with our family and friends. But, sometimes, when we go out we leave these good manners at home. On the road we lose control of our good senses. Why should this be so?

I think we must ask ourselves why can't we be more polite to each other, more caring of each other, more respectful of each other. Building modern roads and driving modern cars is not the end all and be all of progress. Good road manners and adherence to road discipline are equally important!

Bangalore is a global brand. People in the rest of the world know more about Bangalore than they do about India. It is the warmth and the gentle hospitality of the Kannada people that has made your state so popular with investors from across the world. You have become the symbol of a new India, an India on the move, rising to fulfill its destiny on the global stage. The success of the IT revolution in Karnataka has placed it on the world map. This is not an isolated success of a few people who work behind walls and inside air-conditioned rooms. This success has been made possible by the toil and commitment of millions of people. Above all, it has been made possible by your warm hospitality. Investors come from across the world to Bangalore, because Kannadigas are so gracious, so gentle, so talented, so forward-looking.

My sincere advise to you would be that you must jealously preserve this great asset - your hospitality. This is what makes Karnataka one of our most modern States. You have great potential and a great future. I urge you to seize the opportunity with both your hands. What Bangalore has done over the past decade, the rest of Karnataka should do over the next decade. Become home to enterprise, to talent, to creativity and the spirit of adventure.

I must compliment the efforts of all those who have brought this Elevated Highway project to a stage when the construction can immediately begin. I believe that special attention has been paid to ensure that construction activity does not disrupt traffic flow on the highway. I understand that modern technology will be used for construction and that safety during construction will be closely monitored and coordinated. This speaks of a good approach to project implementation. I wish every participant in the project success in his endeavours.

I compliment the concessionaire company that has undertaken this work for showing faith in the PPP system. I wish them success in completion of the project on time. I wish you all the best in all your future endeavours."