Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the government would carry out big reforms in the coming days to improve governance, ease of living, and ease of doing business. He also said the framework of GST reforms had already been sent to all states and that the government expected every state to cooperate and complete the formalities quickly.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of two highway projects, Urban Extension Road 2 and Dwarka Expressway (Delhi section), worth ₹11,000 crore in the national capital, the prime minister said next on his agenda were GST reforms that would give people a ‘double bonus’ this Diwali.
“For us, reform means the expansion of good governance. That is why we are continuously emphasising reform… Next-generation reform is about to take place in GST. This Diwali, the people of the country are set to receive a double bonus from GST reform… Our effort is to make GST simpler and to revise tax rates. This will benefit every family, the poor and the middle class, every small and large entrepreneur, and every trader and businessperson,” Modi said. The prime minister had spoken about the government’s intention to carry out GST reforms over Diwali in his Independence Day speech.
Recalling his Independence Day address, in which he spoke about India’s economy, self-reliance and self-confidence, Modi said, “Today’s India is defined by its aspirations, dreams, and resolutions—elements that the entire world is now experiencing.”
Capital expenditure
He said when the world looks at India and evaluates its progress, its first glance falls on the national capital, Delhi. He emphasised the need to develop Delhi as the capital of an emerging and confident India, highlighting how it has seen unprecedented improvements in connectivity over the past decade. “Delhi-NCR is now among the most well-connected areas in the world in terms of metro network,” Modi said.
On the Dwarka Expressway and Urban Extension Road, he said both have been built to excellent standards. He noted that after the Peripheral Expressway, the Urban Extension Road will now provide significant support to Delhi’s infrastructure and connectivity. He also underlined a key feature of the Urban Extension Road – the millions of tonnes of waste material used in its construction.
The prime minister also criticised previous dispensations for their poor pace of development, and said indifference towards development projects was not limited to Delhi-NCR.
He said over the past 11 years, the infrastructure budget has been increased more than sixfold. The focus has been on completing projects quickly, he added, which is why initiatives such as the Dwarka Expressway are now being realised. He said the substantial investment in these projects was not only creating public facilities but also generating large-scale employment.
The PM also stressed the need for Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and called on all Indians to support the government’s ‘vocal for local’ initiative.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari, lieutenant governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena, chief Minister of delhi Rekha Gupta, chief minister of Haryana Nayab Singh Saini, and union ministers of state Ajay Tamta and Harsh Malhotra, among others, were present at the event.
Decongesting Delhi
The two projects — the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road 2 — are a part of the government’s comprehensive plan to decongest the capital and improve connectivity.
The 10.1-km Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been built at a cost of around ₹5,360 crore. The section will also provide multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, DMRC Blue line and Orange line, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station, and Dwarka cluster bus depot. The 19-km Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway had been inaugurated by the prime minister in March 2024.
Modi also inaugurated the Alipur to Dichaon Kalan stretch of Urban Extension Road 2 along with new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, built at a cost of aroujnd ₹5,580 crore. It aims to ease traffic on Delhi’s Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points such as Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. The new spurs will provide direct access to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, improve industrial connectivity, cut city traffic, and speed up the movement of goods in the NCR.
