Fri Mar 07 19:34:00 UTC 2025: ## Modi Launches Development Projects, Warns of Obesity Crisis in India
**Silvassa/Surat, March 8, 2025** – Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for ₹2,587 crore worth of development projects in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on Friday, March 7th, as part of a two-day tour of Gujarat and the union territory. His visit included the launch of a food security saturation campaign in Surat.
During his addresses in Silvassa and Surat, Modi highlighted a concerning report predicting that nearly 44 crore Indians could be obese by 2050. He urged citizens to combat this looming health crisis by reducing edible oil consumption by 10% and incorporating regular exercise into their routines. He emphasized obesity’s role as a root cause of numerous diseases.
Modi also announced plans to open 25,000 new Jan Aushadhi Kendras nationwide to provide affordable medicines, noting that these centers have already saved citizens nearly ₹30,000 crore. He expressed his vision for the union territory to become a developed region, drawing parallels to Singapore’s transformation.
The inaugurated projects included a 450-bed hospital in Silvassa, and various infrastructure developments in Daman and Diu. In Surat, Modi launched a food security initiative aiming for 100% saturation of government schemes, adding that nearly 2.25 lakh new beneficiaries will receive free rations. He also highlighted the government’s efforts in streamlining the public distribution system, eliminating five crore bogus ration cards, and credited his administration with lifting 25 crore people out of poverty.
Modi further took a swipe at the Congress party, contrasting their electoral performance with the success of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, which has disbursed ₹32 lakh crore in loans to micro-enterprises. He concluded by announcing that he would hand over control of his social media accounts to women for International Women’s Day.
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