New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pointed to the electrification of the Indian Railways as a prime example of accelerated execution under his administration.

Addressing the media at a Diwali Milan at BJP Headquarters in Delhi, PM Modi contrasted the pace of infrastructure development and welfare delivery over the past decade with previous decades. He said that critical national projects that once took generations are now nearing full completion.

"In our country, the electrification of the railways has been underway since the 1930s, meaning it began 100 years ago. Yet, by 2014, even after 90 years, only 30 per cent of the work had been completed. Had we continued at that same pace, it would have taken several...