Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Friday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 14,400 crore in Banaskantha district and participate in celebrations marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will also release approximately Rs 19,000 crore as the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, benefiting farmers across the country.
In Banaskantha, PM Modi will dedicate the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi to the nation. Spread across 127 acres, the facility aims to strengthen bovine breeding, genetic improvement and advanced reproductive technologies.
He will also lay the foundation stones for two Bio-CNG plants of Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur, with daily cattle dung processing capacities of 75 metric tonnes and 100 metric tonnes, respectively.
Among the major infrastructure initiatives, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the extension of Ahmedabad Metro Phase-2 to the airport and GIFT City.
In the social infrastructure sector, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for 4,030 child-friendly Anganwadi centres and inaugurate 361 completed centres across Gujarat. The initiative, involving an investment of Rs 800 crore, is expected to benefit more than four lakh people.
He will also dedicate 521 projects completed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to the nation.
To strengthen railway connectivity, the Prime Minister will flag off the Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)-Varanasi Express and the Mehsana-Becharaji-Sabarmati MEMU service.
PM Modi will also launch on-ground activities under 12 approved horticulture clusters covering approximately 1.46 lakh hectares. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 1.3 lakh farmers, with two clusters in North Gujarat focusing on potato cultivation.
Later, the Prime Minister will travel to Ekta Nagar, where he will inaugurate ‘Bharat Parv 2026’ and witness ‘Ekta Prakash Parv’, a festival of illumination showcasing India’s cultural diversity and national unity.
The illumination displays feature more than 1.5 crore LED lights and artworks created by artists from across the country. The programme will be followed by the Narmada Aarti.
On October 31, PM Modi will pay floral tributes at the Statue of Unity before inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 400 crore in Ekta Nagar.
The projects include a sewage and water treatment plant, facade lighting, the upgradation of Narmada Ghat, an IRCTC hotel, and the Rainforest, Unity and Eco Trail.
He will also lay the foundation stone for the development of Gora-Bhandra Road, an integrated zero-waste smart solid waste management system, Khalwani eco-tourism facilities and the integrated development of the Cactus and Butterfly Garden.
The celebrations marking Sardar Patel’s 151st birth anniversary will feature a parade involving the Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations.
This year’s parade will particularly highlight the achievements of security forces in combating Left-Wing Extremism and the transformation of previously affected regions towards peace, security and development.
A theatrical presentation titled ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’, organised by the National School of Drama, will feature approximately 2,000 artists from 126 districts affected by Left-Wing Extremism.
The overarching theme of this year’s Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations will be ‘Vande Mataram’.
(IANS Inputs)
