Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 33,700 crore in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. These projects span key sectors, including power, oil and gas, rail, road, education, and housing, aiming to boost the state’s infrastructure and socio-economic growth.
Major initiatives in Chhattisgarh
A key highlight was the foundation stone-laying for NTPC’s Sipat Super Thermal Power Project Stage-III (1x800MW), worth Rs 9,790 crore, to enhance power generation. Additionally, PM Modi dedicated three POWERGRID transmission projects under the Western Region Expansion Scheme (WRES), valued at over Rs 560 crore.
In the oil and gas sector, he initiated BPCL’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) project across multiple districts and launched HPCL’s Visakh-Raipur Pipeline (VRPL), a 540 km pipeline costing Rs 2,210 crore to strengthen fuel supply.
Improving connectivity: PM Modi flagged off a MEMU train on the Abhanpur-Raipur section and dedicated the full electrification of Indian Railways in Chhattisgarh. He also announced the upgrading of the Kondagaon-Narayanpur stretch of NH-130D to a two-lane highway.
Education and housing: The Prime Minister distributed keys to PM Awas Yojana beneficiaries, inaugurated 130 PM SHRI schools across 29 districts, and launched the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) in Raipur to enhance education through technology.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honored PM Modi with a traditional shawl and an idol of Maa Bilasa, Bilaspur’s namesake.
PM Modi’s visit to Nagpur
Earlier, PM Modi visited Nagpur, Maharashtra, where he paid tribute to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at Smruti Mandir on his birth anniversary. He also held a roadshow and inaugurated the Loitering Munition Test Range at Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd. The event saw the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.