PM Modi pays tributes to JP, Deshmukh on birth anniversary
_vb_39.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Jayaprakash Narayan, noted freedom fighter who led the movement against Emergency, and Nanaji Deshmukh, Jana Sangh leader and social activist, on their birth anniversaries.
Modi said Loknayak (people's leader), as Narayan was fondly called, dedicated his life to empowering ordinary citizens and strengthening Constitutional values.
"His clarion call for Sampoorna Kranti ignited a societal movement, envisioning a nation built on equality, ethics and good governance. He inspired numerous mass movements, notably in Bihar and Gujarat, which led to a socio-political awakening across India," he said.
These movements, Modi added, shook the then-Congress government at the Centre, which went on to impose Emergency and trampled over the Constitution.
The prime minister posted a page from 'Prison Diary', a journal Narayan wrote during his imprisonment at the time of Emergency, in which JP, a popular short version of his name, penned his "anguish and unbroken faith" in democracy.
"Every nail driven into the coffin of Indian democracy is like a nail driven into my heart,” Modi highlighted the lines from Narayan's write-up.
He said Loknayak JP was one of India's most fearless voices of conscience and a tireless champion of democracy and social justice.
In his tributes to Deshmukh, Modi said he was a visionary social reformer, nation builder and lifelong advocate of self-reliance and rural empowerment.
“His life was an embodiment of dedication, discipline and service to society,” he said. Deshmukh – a leading figure in the JP-led stir against some Congress governments in states and at the Centre, and against Emergency – was deeply inspired by Narayan, Modi noted.
“His reverence to JP and his vision for youth development, service and nation building can be seen in this message he shared when he was the Mahamantri (general secretary) of the Janata Party,” Modi said.
In the statement, Deshmukh announced his decision to quit politics and take up social work.
Janata Party was formed by merging different opposition parties, including the Jana Sangh, to take on the Congress.
Jana Sangh was the forerunner to the BJP, which was founded in 1980.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘missing link’ to open on May 1; will improve travel safety: Shinde
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the long-awaited ‘missing link’ on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, aimed at bypassing the winding Bhor Ghat section and improving safety, will be inaugurated on May 1.
Shinde, who inspected the project site, said the new stretch will make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the hilly section.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to inaugurate the 13.3-km-long missing link, which connects Khopoli on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala, on Maharashtra Day, which is celebrated on May 1, he said.
The deputy CM said that 99 per cent of the project work has been completed. “I personally inspected the quality of work and found it satisfactory. The remaining minor works will be completed in the next few days,” Shinde said.
Shinde said the new alignment will bypass sharp curves and accident-prone stretches in the ghat section, helping reduce delays and improve commuter safety. He claimed accidents in the section would reduce substantially once the project becomes operational.
“The missing link project will make travel between Mumbai and Pune quicker, safer and more convenient, and will contribute significantly to the state’s development,” he said.
The Rs 6,700-crore project, developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), includes two tunnels, high viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley.
The missing link will reduce the travel distance between Mumbai and Pune by approximately 6 km and shorten the journey time by 20 to 30 minutes, said officials.
Initially, only light motor vehicles and buses will be permitted on the new stretch to reduce congestion on the existing ghat section, officials said, adding that heavy goods vehicles will be prohibited due to safety concerns.
“There will be no toll hike because of the missing link project. No increase has been proposed at the Khalapur toll plaza either,” Shinde said.
The project comprises two eight-lane tunnels of 1.75 km and 8.92 km in length and two viaducts measuring 850 metres and 650 metres, said officials. It has been designed to bypass the old Khandala ghat section, a winding route that has long slowed down traffic and posed safety risks, said officials.
The 650-metre viaduct will feature what officials described as India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge, with pylons rising to 182 metres, taller than those on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Officials claimed that the tunnels have a width of 23.75 metres and are among the widest road tunnels in the world. An MSRDC official said the tunnel is likely to be included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The route runs beneath the Lonavala lake area and was executed in difficult terrain marked by heavy rainfall and strong winds, officials said.
Shinde said projects such as the missing link would boost access to tourist destinations such as Lohagad Fort, Visapur Fort and Karla Caves.
MP Shrirang Barne, former corporator Abasaheb Bagul, MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad and senior engineers from executing agencies were present during the inspection, officials said.
Krishnamurthy Subramanian, executive chairman of construction and engineering company Afcons International Private Limited, said the journey to completion of “India’s highest road cable-stayed bridge” was challenging.
“The bridge, located in the Sahyadri region, presented extreme challenges, including narrow ridges that left little room for heavy machinery, sudden wind speeds reaching up to 100 kmph, and dense fog reducing visibility to a few metres. Despite these conditions, we are proud to deliver this engineering marvel,” he said.
The expressway, spanning approximately 95 km, holds the distinction of being India's first access-controlled highway.
