Noida, Mar 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged citizens to work with dedication and unity to tackle global challenges and achieve 'Viksit Bharat', while cautioning political parties against making statements that could harm national interests amid the West Asia conflict.

The Prime Minister on Saturday inaugurated the Noida International Airport and in his address said it was essential for India's 1.4 billion people to work hard and face global crises collectively, while stressing that the government prioritises securing India's interests and safeguarding "families and farmers".

Modi, who laid the foundation stone for the greenfield airport in November 2021, emphasised that the government was focused on enhancing citizens' convenience by saving time and reducing costs.

Referring to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, he said he had discussed the situation in detail in Parliament and also held extensive and "very positive" deliberations with the chief ministers of various states.

"I once again appeal to the people of the country that we must face this crisis calmly, with patience and unity. This is a global crisis, but we must prioritise India's interests. That is our greatest strength," he said.

The Prime Minister urged political parties to refrain from making "irresponsible" statements during such times.

"Those who make remarks that harm the country may gain some points in political debates, but such actions will never be forgiven by the people," he said, recalling how voters rejected misinformation campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remarks come against the backdrop of political controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had publicly expressed reluctance to take a COVID-19 vaccine, triggering a political debate over vaccine hesitancy.

The controversy was a talking point in the run-up to the 2022 UP Assembly elections, in which the Samajwadi Party was defeated, and the BJP retained power.

Modi said that India is confronting the challenges arising from the ongoing conflict in West Asia with full strength.

Highlighting that India depends on crude oil and gas from conflict-affected regions, Modi said the government is taking necessary steps to ensure the burden does not fall on families and farmers.

Modi also inaugurated on Saturday the cargo terminal at the airport and laid the foundation stone for a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility to be developed over 40 acres.

"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the journey towards a Viksit UP and a Viksit Bharat," he said.

He said Jewar Airport would boost economic activity in the region. "Noida International Airport will create new opportunities for farmers, small traders and youngsters of western UP," he said.

Modi said UP is now among the states with the highest number of international airports and noted that the state which elected him as a Member of Parliament is now identified as a grand aviation hub.

"From here, flights will not only connect to different parts of the world, but will also symbolise the new flight of a Viksit UP. Jewar Airport will connect the entire North India with the world," he said, adding that "the airport is being developed as a state-of-the-art facility with the capacity to handle one aircraft movement every two minutes.

Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and other dignitaries.

Hitting out at the main opposition party in the state, Modi said the Samajwadi Party had turned Noida into an "ATM for loot", but under BJP, it is now emerging as a powerful engine of development.

He added that Noida, once neglected by earlier governments, is now ready to welcome the world, reflecting the spirit of a self-reliant India.

Highlighting the government's aviation policy, Modi said, "We launched the UDAN scheme to ensure that air travel remains within the reach of ordinary families. In the past few years, more than 1.6 crore people have travelled at affordable fares under this scheme." UDAN scheme has recently been expanded with an approved outlay of around Rs 29,000 crore, with plans to develop new airports in smaller cities and build around 200 helipads in the coming years.

Modi said Jewar Airport would benefit a wide region covering Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Etawah, Bulandshahr and Faridabad.

Expressing pride, he said UP now ranks among the states with the highest number of international airports.

Modi said the Jewar area is emerging as a logistics hub with the convergence of dedicated freight corridors at Dadri, enabling faster movement of goods to ports in Bengal and Gujarat.

He recalled that the airport project was first approved in 2003 during the tenure of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, adding that improved connectivity would enhance food processing and agricultural exports from western UP.

Modi expressed gratitude to sugarcane farmers, saying ethanol produced from their crop has helped reduce India's dependence on crude oil imports.

He said that without increased ethanol production and its blending with petrol, the country would have had to import an additional 4.5 crore barrels of crude oil annually.

He noted that the initiative has helped save about Rs 1.5 lakh crore in foreign exchange.

Modi said India's aviation sector is growing rapidly, leading to increased demand for aircraft. "These new aircraft and services will require a large workforce for operations, servicing and maintenance. This presents a huge opportunity for the youth," he said.

The PM highlighted the lack of adequate MRO facilities in India in the past, noting that nearly 85 per cent of aircraft had to go abroad for servicing.

"Our government has resolved to make India self-reliant in the MRO sector. Large-scale facilities are now being developed in the country, and an MRO facility has also been launched at Jewar," he said.

Modern transport systems like Metro and Vande Bharat trains are being expanded, Modi said, adding that the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat train has already benefited more than 2.5 crore passengers, reducing travel time from hours to minutes.

The Prime Minister said the government has made unprecedented investments in the sector over the past 11 years. "The infrastructure budget has increased more than six-fold. About Rs 17 lakh crore has been spent on highways and expressways, and over 1 lakh kilometres of highways have been constructed," he said.

The first phase of the airport, developed at an estimated cost of Rs 11,200 crore, is envisioned as a multi-modal transport hub.

The project includes a cargo hub with an initial handling capacity of over 2.5 lakh metric tonnes annually, expandable to around 18 lakh metric tonnes. The airport's initial passenger handling capacity will be 12 million passengers per annum, scalable up to 70 million.

Meanwhile, the airport's nodal officer Shailendra Bhatia told PTI that shortly after the event concluded, a state government aircraft made the first landing on the newly built runway, while Chief Minister Adityanath departed on the same aircraft, marking the first takeoff after inauguration.

Officials said regular commercial flight operations are yet to be announced and are expected to begin after the airport security plan receives approval, likely next month. The airport was initially scheduled to commence passenger services from September 2024. PTI CDN KIS DRR MR