Sitharaman backs for proper public transport, infrastructure to become superpower

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday said the nation cannot aspire to become a superpower if there is lack of infrastructure, proper public transport and basic amenities for its citizens. "If people cannot have access to good roads, if people can't have good public transport like the metro rail, if people can't have the proper drinking water facility, even more basic -- if people can't have proper toilets, this country cannot aspire to become a superpower," she said.

She was addressing a gathering at the swapping of defence land at 10 places in Bengaluru with the state government. Underlining that development was high on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's agenda, Sitharaman said the centre never differentiated between states just because they were ruled by different parties.

She stressed that infrastructure was the top priority when it came to giving 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', an important slogan of the Modi government. The event was related to the swapping of land, which was pending for more than a decade.

Some cases, sources in the Karnataka government said, were as old as 30 years. Sitharaman referred to a particular case where half of the bridge was built and left incomplete for several years in anticipation of getting clearance from the defence ministry to swap the land.

"As a member of parliament from here, it pains me to know this. I have been telling this to the chief minister, bridges are built, they were almost completely done but they cannot be completed on the other end," the minister said. She said it was hard for anyone to imagine that Bengaluru, which is on the global map because of its great achievements, has a bridge which remains incomplete just because it could not be finished on the other side.

(With inputs from agencies.)