New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 21,000 crore in Gujarat during his two-day visit from Friday.
On June 18, Prime Minister Modi will visit and inaugurate the redeveloped temple of Shree Kalika Mata at Pavagadh Hill, which will be followed by his visit to Virasat Van. Thereafter, in the afternoon, he will participate in Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan at Vadodara, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 21,000 crore.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that beneficiaries of various schemes of the government will participate in Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan at Vadodara. The Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various Railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore. These projects will help lower logistics cost and boost industry and agriculture sector in the region. They will also improve connectivity in the region and enhance passenger amenities.
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, a total of 1.38 lakh houses will be dedicated by the Prime Minister, including houses worth around Rs 1,800 crore in urban areas and houses worth over Rs 1,530 crore in rural areas. In addition, Khat Muhurat of around 3,000 houses worth over Rs 310 crore will also be done.
During the programme, the Prime Minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for various development works at Kheda, Anand, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, and Panchmahal, worth over Rs 680 crore, which are aimed at furthering ease of living in the region.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for Gujarat Central University in Kundhela village of Dabhoi taluka of Gujarat. Located at about 20 kilometres from Vadodara city, the University will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 425 crore and will cater to higher education needs of over 2,500 students.
With a focus on improving maternal and child health, the Prime Minister will also launch ‘Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana’, which will have an outlay of Rs 800 crore. Under the scheme, pregnant and lactating mothers will be given two kg of chickpeas, one kg of tur dal and one kg of edible oil free of cost from Anganwadi Centres every month.
The Prime Minister will also disburse around Rs 120 crore towards ‘Poshan Sudha Yojana’, which is now being extended to all tribal beneficiaries in the state. This step is being taken after the success of the experiment of providing pregnant and lactating mothers from tribal districts with Iron and Calcium tablets and education on nutrition.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate the redeveloped temple of Shree Kalika Mata at Pavagadh Hill. It is one of the oldest temples in the area and attracts pilgrims in large numbers.
The redevelopment of the temple has been done in two phases. The inauguration of the first phase of redevelopment was done by the Prime Minister earlier this year in April. The foundation stone for the redevelopment of the second phase, which is going to be inaugurated in the programme, was laid by the Prime Minister in 2017. This includes expansion of the temple base and ‘parisar’ at three levels, installation of amenities like street lights, CCTV system and others.
