Hyderabad: As a Sankranthi festival gift to the people of the two Telugu speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express at 1030 hours today on January 15 through Remote Video link from New Delhi, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy said.
Simultaneously, a function will be held at Secunderabad Railway Station on the same day where Union Railway Minister Ashwini Viaishnaw and others would participate, he said.
Talking to the reporters at Telangana BJP state headquarter here on Saturday, Reddy requested everyone to go to their nearest railway station in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday and welcome the inaugural Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam.
The Union Minister said that the invitations have been sent to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Ministers and other people representatives as per protocol and hoped they would attend the programme.
He said that the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working with the welfare of the people during the last eight year. Reddy said that the Centre has decided to fill 10 lakh vacancies in a phased manner.
During the first and second phases, the Centre has filled 1.5 lakh vacancies. In the third phase, the Prime Minister will hand over appointment letters to the beneficiaries in Telangana through virtual on January 20, he said.
The Union Minister said that the Centre was giving priority to public health. He said that under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme 1.5 lakh Wellness Centres have been set up across the country. 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.
