Lucknow, April 11 – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that despite global geopolitical challenges, India remains one of the world's fastest-growing major economies today.
Speaking at an event in Lucknow, he said that the vision of building "Viksit Bharat@2047" can only be achieved through teamwork.
"Viksit Bharat means a society where citizens respect the responsibility towards each other and follow the principle of 'no one should be left behind' in the development journey," he said, according to a statement on social media.
He said, "As the Defence Minister, I am also greatly pleased to see that Lucknow is making a significant contribution to the Defence sector."
"It is a matter of pride for Lucknow that it has been declared a Defence Node along with Agra and Kanpur," he said.
Now, the BrahMos missile is also being manufactured in Lucknow. And it's a matter of pride that its first batch has already been handed over to our army. Along with this, many small and large factories producing defence equipment are also being established here," he said.
Earlier, speaking at the Annual Celebration of the Jan Kalyan Maha Samiti in Gomti Nagar, he said there was a time when Uttar Pradesh was called a "BIMARU" state, but today it is called "Uttam Pradesh".
The Defence Minister said that once the state was the stronghold of mafias, but today it is the stronghold of saints and ascetics.
He also pointed towards the all-round development taking place in the state, particularly in Lucknow.
He said that the Lucknow Culture and Art Museum, built at Hussainabad Clock Tower in Lucknow, is a sacred endeavour to keep our future generations connected to their roots.
"Through this museum, you will be able to come face to face with the glorious history of Awadh, the unique craftsmanship here, and the blended culture of this place," said Rajnath Singh.
This museum will not only enhance the pride of Lucknow, but will also, with the increase in tourist crowds here, provide new employment opportunities for shopkeepers and small artisans, said a statement quoting the Union Minister.
He said that construction of National Highway Number 927 will take place. It will start in Barabanki, near the Outer Ring Road, and go up to Bahraich. It will be a 101-kilometer-long four-lane route, along with a four-lane service road.
Around Rs 7,000 crore will be spent on this project. Its biggest benefit will be that the current 2.5-hour journey from Barabanki to Bahraich will be reduced to just 1.25 hours, he said.
Around this road, a new corridor for the development of the State Capital Region, that is, the state capital area, will also be created, he said.