Puducherry [India], March 1 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, took aim at the Congress, and said that the party had made 'a speedbreaker in the growth of Puducherry'.

Years of Congress rule were marked by corruption, crime and suffering of the poor, PM Modi said in his address at an event in Puducherry, while adding that the double-engine NDA government will add more momentum to Puducherry's growth.

'Under the earlier Congress-DMK rule, the people of Puducherry faced immense hardships. Those years were marked by political instability, allegations of corruption, rising crime, and the neglect of the poor,' the Prime Minister said.

'When I came here earlier, I had given the mantra of BEST Puducherry. BEST means Business, Education, Spirituality and Tourism. In the last four and a half years, this vision is bearing fruit. Puducherry has witnessed good governance and development,' he said.

He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 2,700 crore aimed at strengthening infrastructure, urban services, industrial development, education, healthcare and sustainable growth in Puducherry.

'These projects will transform the lives of the people of Puducherry,' PM said.

'Delighted to be among the wonderful people of Puducherry. Today, multiple development works are being launched that will enhance ease of living and boost the region's economic growth,' he said in a post on X.

Prime Minister inaugurated several key initiatives, including the launch of e-Buses under the PM e-Bus Seva Initiative, the Integrated Command and Control Centre under the Smart City Mission, tenements for Economically Weaker Sections under City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) initiative, and important sewerage and water supply sector projects of the Government of Puducherry.

He inaugurated the Composite Engineering Block- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Block and Ganga Hostel of the National Institute of Technology in Karaikal.

Further, he inaugurated the modernisation of the Regional Cancer Centre at JIPMER and new annexe buildings, lecture halls and hostels of Pondicherry University, further strengthening higher education and healthcare infrastructure in the region.

Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the 750-acre Karasur-Sedarapet Industrial Estate, which will house a Pharma Park, Textile Park, IT Park, state-of-the-art research and development centre of IIT Madras and advanced healthcare facilities of JIPMER, thereby providing a major boost to industrial growth and employment generation in the region.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of water supply projects to improve drinking water systems and ensure clean and safe water for residents of the Puducherry region.

He also laid the foundation stone for construction of 41 rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), development of Heritage Town in Puducherry, mangrove restoration under the MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme, projects in water supply and sanitation sectors, and power sector projects under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), among others.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of water supply projects to improve drinking water systems and ensure clean and safe water for residents of the Puducherry region.

He also laid the foundation stone for construction of 41 rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), development of Heritage Town in Puducherry, mangrove restoration under the MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes) scheme, projects in water supply and sanitation sectors, and power sector projects under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), among others. (ANI)