PM Modi inaugurates, lays foundation stone of projects worth ₹7,600 crore in Chhattisgarh's Raipur
This is PM Modi's first visit to the state, where Assembly elections are due this year-end, after being elected as the prime minister in 2019.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of eight projects worth around ₹7,600 crore in Chhattisgarh's Raipur on Friday.
While addressing the Vijay Sankalp Maharally in Raipur, PM Modi said these new projects will open up ample employment opportunities for the people of the state and ease their lives. "It's a history day today in the developmental journey of Chhattisgarh. Today, the state is receiving a gift of projects worth over ₹7,000 crore. This gift is for infrastructure, connectivity and to make lives of people of Chhattisgarh easy," he said.
"Central government is committed to create new opportunities in those regions that have natural resources. Steps taken by the government have strengthened industrialisation in Chhattisgarh," he added.
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While emphasising on the technological developments, he said that around nine years ago, over 20% villages in state lacked mobile connectivity, now it has come down to nearly 6%.
While paying tributes to the deceased, who met with an accident while thier bus collided with a stationary truck on the way to the rally venue, he said, "I came to know that this morning three people from Chhattisgarh who were coming here for the rally died in a bus accident. Some people have also been injured in this incident. I pay tribute to those who have passed away and all possible help is being provided for the treatment of those who have been injured. Those who are in the hospital, I wish them a speedy recovery."
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Three persons were killed and six others injured in the accident. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the incident and announced ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh to kin of each of the deceased, an official said.
While taking a dig at the Congress party, he said that the latter is snatching the rights form the people. “A big 'panja' (palm) has stood like a wall in front of the development of Chhattisgarh. This is the 'panja' of Congress, which is snatching your rights from you. This 'panja' has decided that it will loot and ruin Chhattisgarh.”
At the event, he dedicated four-laning of the 33-km-long Raipur-Kodebod section of the National Highway 30, the 53-km-long four-lane Bilaspur-Pathrapali stretch of NH-130. furthermore, he laid the foundation stone for construction of three sections (Jhanki-Sargi (43 km), Sargi –Basanwahi (57 km) and Basanwahi-Marangpuri (25 km)) as a part of the six-lane Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor NH-130 CD.
He also dedicated to the nation the doubling of the 103-km-long Raipur-Khariar Road Rail Line, built at a cost of ₹750 crore, a 17-km-long new railway line connecting Keoti-Antagarh, and a bottling plant of the Indian Oil Corporation with a capacity of 60,000 metric ton per annum in Korba constructed at a cost of over ₹130 crore.
He also distributed 75 lakh cards to beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Upon the arrival, PM Modi was received by Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and chief minister Bhupesh Baghel at the Raipur airport.
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According to the schedule, after Raipur, Modi will then travel to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh where he will participate in the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Gita Press Gorakhpur, followed by the flagging off of Vande Bharat trains at Gorakhpur railway station. From Gorakhpur, PM Modi will travel to Varanasi where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for multiple projects.
PM Modi is on a two-day visit to the four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan from July 7-8 to lay the foundation and dedicate multiple projects worth ₹50,000 crore
(With inputs from PTI)
