Satyagrah se Swachhagrah: PM addresses cleanliness workers in Bihar

Motihari (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off a train between Katihar and Old Delhi, dedicated to the nation a loco factory in Madhepura and laid the foundation of a track-doubling project in Bihar.

The Prime Minister was at Motihari in Bihar to attend an event to mark 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran Satyagrah with an aim to spread the message of Swachh Bharat.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of a project for doubling of Muzzafarpur-Sagauli (100.6 km) and Sagauli-Valmikinagar sections (109.7 km), flagged off the first run of the Champaran Humsafar Express between Katihar and Old Delhi and the first 12,000 horsepower freight electric locomotive assembled at the Madhepura factory.

The Prime Minister also dedicated the first phase of the factory to the nation.

Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in February 2018, the two sections -- Muzzafarpur-Sagauli and Sagauli-Valmikinagar -- are being built at an estimated cost of Rs 2,401 crore and will cover districts of Muzaffarnagar, East Champaran and West Champaran.

The Champaran Humsafar Express will facilitate faster, safer and comfortable journey experience to common man of North Bihar.

The train will run bi-weekly - Tuesdays and Fridays - covering a distance of 1,383 km, according to an official statement.

The loco factory in Madhepura, a joint venture between Indian Railways and French manufacturing firm Alstom, has a capacity to manufacture 110 loco per annum.

The railways has set a target of manufacturing 800 locos (five assembled and 795 manufactured) over a period of 11 years.

Addressing the gathering of about 20,000 cleanliness ambassadors from different parts of the nation who have converged at Motihari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Rs 6,600 crore worth projects launched today will be a boon to Bihar and Champaran. Projects worth Rs 3,000 crore have been approved to prevent waste dumping in Ganga."

The Prime Minister lauded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi for the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the state. "Bihar was the only state where the scope of hygiene was less than 50 per cent. But after a week's Swachhagraha campaign, Bihar broke that barrier," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Bihar is the state that transformed Mahatma Gandhi into 'Bapu'.

"Hundred years ago, people from across the country came to Champaran and worked under the leadership of Gandhi. Today, enthusiastic youngsters are working shoulder to shoulder with cleanliness workers," the Prime Minister added.

Congratulating the people of Bihar, 'Swachhagrahis' and the state government, the Prime Minister said, "In the last one week, more than 8,50,000 toilets have been constructed in Bihar. This is a great achievement."

(With inputs from PTI)