Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express at 1030 a.m. on January 15 via Remote Video Link from New Delhi as a Sankranthi festival gift to the people of the two Telugu-speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy said. On the same day, a function will be held at Secunderabad Railway Station, in which Union Railway Minister Ashwini Viaishnaw and others will take part, he said.
Reddy told reporters at the Telangana BJP state headquarters here on Saturday that everyone in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh should go to their nearest railway station on Sunday to welcome the inaugural Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam.
According to the Union Minister, invitations have been sent to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Ministers, and other people’s representatives in accordance with protocol, and he hopes they will attend the programme. He stated that the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working for the welfare of the people for the past eight years. According to Reddy, the Centre has decided to fill 10 lakh vacancies in stages.
The Centre filled 1.5 lakh vacancies in the first and second phases. On January 20, the Prime Minister will hand over appointment letters to Telangana beneficiaries via virtual in the third phase, he said. According to the Union Minister, the Centre prioritises public health. He stated that 1.5 lakh Wellness Centres have been established across the country under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.
The Minister reminded that all kinds of medical facilities are being provided in the wellness centres. Reddy said that earlier, there were 387 Medical Colleges across the country, but now that number has increased to 606. AIIMS Hospitals also increased to 22 from 7 and nine more AIIMS hospitals will be available to the public in 2024, he added.
