Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a one-day visit to Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, inaugurated several development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore in the state on Friday (February 23). These initiatives have be initiated in several pivotal sectors, including road, tourism, education, health, drinking water, urban development, and sanitation.
Enhancing road connectivity
PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of four-laning of the Ghargra-Bridge-Varanasi section of NH-233, four-laning of the Sultanpur-Varanasi section of NH-56 (Package-1), six-laning of phase-1 of the Varanasi-Aurangabad section of NH-19, four-laning of Package-1 Varanasi-Hanumana section on NH-35, and the construction of a Railway Overbridge (ROB) on the Varanasi-Jaunpur rail section near Babatpur.
Additionally, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Expressway Package-1. The foundation stone for multiple beautification projects in Varanasi, including the rejuvenation of ponds, redevelopment of parks, and the design and development of a 3-D Urban Digital map and database, has also been laid.
Moreover, PM Modi used a virtual reality headset to inspect the Kashi Ropeway in Varanasi.
Other projects
In a move to boost industrial development, PM Modi inaugurated the LPG Bottling Plant by HPCL in Sewapuri, the Banas Kashi Sankul milk processing unit in UPSIDA Agro Park Karkhiyaon, and various infrastructure works at UPSIDA Agro Park, Karkhiyaon.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Varanasi. He also scheduled to inaugurate a silk fabric printing common facility centre for weavers in the state.
Urban development projects in Varanasi will see the Prime Minister inaugurating the Urban waste to Charcoal Plant by NTPC at Ramana, the upgradation of the water supply network in Sis-Varuna area, and the online effluent monitoring and SCADA automation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Sewerage Pumping Stations.
Tourism and spiritual tourism in Varanasi witnessed several inaugurations by the Prime Minister, including the redevelopment of public facilities at five Padavs of Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg and Pavan Path, the launch of an electric catamaran vessel for Varanasi & Ayodhya by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), and the establishment of change rooms, floating jetties, and community jetties.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for thirteen community jetties of IWAI at various cities and a quick pontoon opening mechanism at Ballia.