PM Modi visited Jharkhand and West Bengal on Friday, March 1, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects with a focus on enhancing rail, road, and power infrastructure.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also expected to meet PM Modi at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening, according to an official. Modi will stay at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Friday night.
As part of his two-day tour to eastern states, the PM will visit West Bengal's Nadia and Bihar on Saturday, March 2, the second day of his visit.
Jharkhand Visit Highlights
PM Modi's journey began in Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, where a public programme was scheduled. The event witnessed the inauguration, dedication, and foundation stone laying for various development projects valued at approximately ₹35,700 crore.
Development Projects in Jharkhand
Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant: A ₹8,900 crore project, dedicated to the nation, this plant will increase indigenous urea production by about 12.7 LMT per annum, benefiting farmers.
"With the dedication of this plant to the nation, India will become self-reliant in urea," PM Modi said. "India is going swiftly towards becoming self-reliant in the urea sector."
Rail Projects: Initiatives worth over ₹17,600 crore to enhance rail services and foster socio-economic development were inaugurated by the PM.
The railway projects include the third and fourth lines connecting Sone Nagar and Andal, Tori-Shivpur first and second, and Biratoli-Shivpur third line, Mohanpur-Hansdiha new rail lines and Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail lines.
Power Projects: Notable projects, including Unit 1 (660 MW) of the North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (STPP), Chatra, costing over ₹7,500 crore, geared towards improving power supply in the region and generating employment.
Coal Projects: The PM inaugurated the North Urimari coal handling plant of Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) worth ₹292 crore under the 'PM Gatishakti Master Plan'. It is a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, in Ramgarh district.
The facility will boost a coal dispatch capacity of 7.5 million tonne per annum (MTPA) along with a coal storage capacity of 20,000 tonne and silo bunker of 4,000 tonne.
West Bengal Visit Highlights
Following Jharkhand, PM Modi visited Arambagh, Hooghly in West Bengal. During the visit, he inaugurated and laid foundation stone for various projects valued at more than ₹7,200 crore, spanning sectors like rail, ports, oil pipeline, LPG supply, and wastewater treatment.
During his address, PM Modi also targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the violence and sexual assault against women in Sandeshkhali.
“The TMC leaders of Sandeshkhali exceeded all limits in unleashing violence on the people. The women of Sandeshkhali asked Mamata for help. And what did she do? Instead, she did everything she could to protect those leaders,” he said.
Development Projects in West Bengal
Indian Oil's Haldia-Barauni Crude Oil Pipeline: The PM inaugurated ₹2,790 crore pipeline connecting refineries in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It will supply crude oil to refineries in a safe, cost-efficient and environment-friendly manner.
Infrastructure Strengthening at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata: Modi laid the foundation stone for multiple projects worth around ₹1,000 crore to enhance port productivity and dedicated it to the nation These projects include berth reconstruction, mechanisation and augmentation of the firefighting system, aimed at boosting port productivity substantially.
Rail Projects: PM Modi dedicated initiatives worth about ₹2,680 crore to the nation including the third rail line connecting Jhargram-Salgajhari (90 kms), and the doubling of the Dankuni – Bhattanagar – Baltikuri rail line (9 kms) and the doubling of the Sondalia – Champapukur rail line (24 kms).
LPG Bottling Plant: PM Modi also inaugurated Indian Oil's LPG bottling plant in Kharagpur, with a capacity of 120 TMTPA, which will cater to around 14.5 lakh customers in West Bengal. This facility, developed at a cost exceeding ₹200 crore, will be the first of its kind in the region.
Wastewater Treatment Projects: Three wastewater treatment and sewerage projects, costing approximately ₹600 crore and funded by the World Bank, were also inaugurated, aimed at enhancing sanitation infrastructure in West Bengal.
First Published: Mar 1, 2024 11:32 AM IST
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