‘India has lot beyond your imagination’: PM welcomes foreign tourists as he flags off cruise

India

oi-Deepika S

The
dawn
of
cruise
tourism
will
further
generate
employment
for
our
#YuvaShakti
and
boost
India’s
economy,
noted
PM
Modi.

Varanasi,
Jan
13:
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
on
Friday
flagged
off
the
World’s
Longest
River
Cruise-MV
Ganga
Vilas,
heralding
a
new
age
of
tourism
in
India.

“The
beginning
of
the
world’s
longest
river
cruise
service
on
river
Ganga
is
a
landmark
moment.
It
will
herald
a
new
age
of
tourism
in
India,”
PM
Modi
said.

“Ganga
is
not
just
a
river
to
us.
It
is
a
witness
to
India’s
glorious
history.
With
a
new
approach,
we
began
the
cleanliness
drive
of
Namami
Gange,”
he
added.

“I
have
a
message
for
all
foreign
visitors,
MV
Ganga
Vilas
that
India
has
everything
you
can
imagine.
It
also
has
lot
beyond
your
imagination.
India
can’t
be
defined
in
words.
India
can
only
be
experienced
from
the
heart
because
India
has
opened
her
heart
for
everyone,”
PM
Modi
said.

PM
Modi
flags
off
‘world’s
longest
river
cruise’
Ganga
Vilas,
to
cost
Rs
25,000
per
day

“The
dawn
of
cruise
tourism
will
further
generate
employment
for
our
#YuvaShakti
and
boost
India’s
economy,”
PM
Modi
said.

“With
India’s
ever-increasing
role
in
the
global
economy,
people
around
the
world
are
curious
to
learn
more
about
India
and
it’s
history,”
the
prime
minister
remarked.

Listing
out
the
infrastructure
boost
in
the
region,
PM
Modi
said
“Today
the
roads
of
my
Kashi
are
widening,
the
ghats
of
Ganga
ji
are
getting
clean,
and
after
the
construction
of
the
Kashi
Vishwanath
Corridor,
unprecedented
enthusiasm
is
visible
among
the
devotees.”

Observing
that
the
cruise
will
pass
through
25
different
river
streams,
the
Prime
Minister
said
that
this
cruise
has
significant
importance
for
those
who
have
a
keen
interest
in
understanding
the
river
systems
of
India.
He
also
mentioned
that
it
is
a
golden
opportunity
for
those
who
want
to
explore
the
myriad
culinary
and
cuisines
of
India.
“One
can
witness
the
extraordinary
amalgamation
of
the
heritage
of
India
and
its
modernity
on
this
cruise”,
the
Prime
Minister
remarked
as
he
shed
light
on
the
new
era
of
cruise
tourism
where
new
employment
opportunities
will
be
created
for
the
youth
of
the
country.

“Not
just
foreign
tourists
but
Indians
who
traveled
to
different
nations
for
such
an
experience
can
head
towards
North
India
now”,
the
Prime
Minister
said.
He
also
informed
that
similar
experiences
are
being
readied
in
other
inland
waterways
of
the
country
to
give
a
boost
to
cruise
tourism
while
keeping
in
mind
the
budget
as
well
as
the
luxury
experience.

“Before
2014,
the
use
of
waterways
was
very
limited.
We
have
made
efforts
to
integrate
waterways
in
India’s
modern
infrastructure
development,”
PM
Modi
said.

The
Prime
Minister
also
mentioned
that
India
is
entering
into
a
robust
phase
of
tourism
as
with
a
growing
global
profile,
curiosity
about
India
is
also
increasing.
That
is
why,
said
the
Prime
Minister,
in
the
last
8
years
various
steps
were
taken
to
expand
the
tourism
sector
in
the
country.
Places
of
faith
were
developed
on
priority
and
Kashi
is
a
live
example
of
such
efforts.
With
improved
facilities
and
the
rejuvenation
of
Kashi
Vishvanath
Dham,
Kashi
has
seen
a
huge
increase
in
the
number
of
visiting
devotees.
This
has
given
a
massive
boost
to
the
local
economy.
The
New
Tent
City,
infused
with
modernity,
spirituality
and
faith,
will
provide
a
novel
experience
to
the
tourists.

The
Prime
Minister
said
that
today’s
event
is
a
reflection
of
the
policies,
decisions
and
direction
taken
after
2014
in
the
country.
“This
decade
of
the
21st
century
is
a
decade
of
infrastructure
transformation
in
India.
India
is
witnessing
a
level
of
infrastructure
which
was
unimaginable
a
few
years
ago.”

He
said
from
Social
infrastructure
like
houses,
toilets,
hospitals,
electricity,
water,
cooking
gas,
educational
institutes
to
digital
infrastructure
to
physical
connectivity
infrastructure
like
railways,
waterways,
airways
and
roads,
all
these
are
strong
indicators
of
the
rapid
growth
of
India.
In
all
the
fields
India
is
seeing
the
best
and
biggest,
he
pointed
out.

The
Prime
Minister
underlined
the
low
usage
of
river
waterways
in
India
before
2014
despite
the
rich
history
in
this
mode
of
transport
in
the
country.
Post
2014,
India
is
harnessing
this
ancient
strength
to
the
cause
of
modern
India.
There
is
a
new
law
and
detailed
action
plan
for
developing
waterways
in
big
rivers
of
the
country.

The
Prime
Minister
informed
that
in
2014
only
5
national
waterways
were
there
in
the
country,
now
there
are
111
national
waterways
in
the
country
and
about
two
dozen
are
in
operation
already.
Similarly,
there
has
been
a
3
times
increase
in
cargo
transportation
via
river
waterways
from
30
lakh
metric
tonnes
8
years
ago.

Coming
back
to
the
theme
of
development
of
eastern
India,
the
Prime
Minister
said
that
today’s
events
will
help
in
making
eastern
India
a
growth
engine
for
Developed
India.
This
connects
Haldia
multimodal
terminal
with
Varanasi
and
is
also
connected
with
India
Bangladesh
protocol
route
and
Northeast.
This
also
connects
Kolkata
port
and
Bangladesh.
This
will
facilitate
business
from
Uttar
Pradesh,
Bihar,
Jharkhand,
and
West
Bengal
to
Bangladesh.

Emphasising
the
need
for
training
of
the
staff
and
skilled
workforce,
the
Prime
Minister
informed
that
a
Skill
Development
Center
has
been
set
up
in
Guwahati
and
a
new
facility
is
also
being
constructed
in
Guwahati
for
the
repairing
of
ships.

“Be
it
a
cruise
ship
or
a
cargo
ship,
they
not
only
give
a
boost
to
transport
and
tourism,
but
the
entire
industry
associated
with
their
service
also
creates
new
opportunities”,
the
Prime
Minister
said.

Referring
to
a
study
conducted,
the
Prime
Minister
informed
that
waterways
are
not
just
beneficial
to
the
environment
but
also
help
in
saving
money.
He
said
that
the
cost
of
operating
waterways
is
two
and
a
half
times
lesser
than
that
of
roadways,
and
one-third
lesser
when
compared
to
railways.
The
Prime
Minister
also
touched
upon
the
National
Logistics
Policy
and
said
that
India
has
the
potential
to
develop
a
waterway
network
of
thousands
of
kilometres.

He
also
emphasised
that
India
has
more
than
125
rivers
and
river
streams
which
can
be
developed
to
transport
goods
and
ferry
people
while
also
giving
impetus
to
further
expanding
port-led
development.
He
emphasised
the
need
to
build
a
modern
multi-modal
network
of
waterways
and
informed
about
the
partnerships
with
Bangladesh
and
other
countries
which
have
strengthened
the
water
connectivity
in
the
Northeast.