Bhuj (Gujarat) [India], May 26 (ANI): Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal on Monday said India has made unprecedented progress in the power sector over the last decade, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore in Gujarat's Bhuj.

'We have reached new heights in the field of electricity and power, and made unprecedented progress. There was a time when power cuts were common, but today, despite the huge power consumption, electricity is available for a good 22-24 hours even in villages,' he said while addressing the gathering.

Highlighting the achievements under the current government, the Union Minister noted that India's electricity generation capacity has almost doubled in the past ten years. 'In 10 years, our electricity production has nearly doubled and reached 472 GW,' he said.

Looking ahead, he outlined the government's commitment to scaling up renewable energy output. 'We will speed up our electricity production even more with the use of non-fossil, i.e. renewable energy sources. By 2030, 500 GW of electricity will be produced via renewable sources,' he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi said that Kutch was fast becoming the world's largest centre for green energy. He also laid the foundation for a green hydrogen factory in the region.

'Green hydrogen is a new fuel type, and in the near future, cars and buses will run on it. Today, the foundation stone for a green hydrogen factory has been laid -- and the technology behind it is Made in India,' PM Modi said while addressing the gathering here.

He added that the projects launched would help make India a blue economy and boost port-led development.

'Today, Kutch is the centre of tourism and business. Kutch's role will be much bigger in the future. The foundation stone has been laid for the development projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore. There was a time when the whole of Gujarat would not see such a huge project announcement, and now a district will benefit from such a huge development work. This project will help make India a blue economy of the world and a centre of green energy. I congratulate all of you,' PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister further stated the government's resolve with the launch of PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana earlier, stating that every citizen must have access to electricity and that the electricity bill must be zero.

'It is our government's resolve that every citizen should have access to electricity, and their electricity bill should be zero. That is why we launched the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Many people in Gujarat are already benefiting from this scheme. One common factor among many developed nations is that their seas have empowered their growth. Our Port-led Development Vision is inspired by the ancient Indian legacy of thriving ports and maritime history,' PM Modi said.

'My relationship with Kutch is quite old. You also give me so much love that I can't stop myself from coming to Kachchh. When I was not in politics, I used to come here often. I got the chance to roam every corner here...Today, living here has become easy, but the situation was different in the earlier days. When the water of Narmada reached Kutch for the first time, that day was no less than Diwali for Kutch, and it was an unprecedented celebration... Fortunately, you all gave me a chance to contribute to this cause,' he added. (ANI)