VARANASI: On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, where he will lay the cornerstone for many development programmes worth more than Rs 1,800 crore that are aimed at increasing infrastructure and easing the quality of life. PM Modi will officially open the Akshay Patra Mid-day Meal Kitchen at LT College in Varanasi. This facility can prepare midday meals for up to one lakh students.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced in a statement that PM Modi will visit the International Cooperation and Convention Centre — Rudraksh — to open the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam on the implementation of the National Education Policy. PM Modi will then travel to Dr Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Sigra, where he would officially launch many projects worth more than Rs 1,800 crore and lay the foundation stone for them. According to the statement, Prime Minister Modi has focused heavily on infrastructure development in Varanasi over the past eight years, and consequently, the city’s landscape has changed considerably. The statement also stated that the project’s main goal was to achieve ease of liveability for the city’s residents. Taking this goal ahead, the prime minister will officially launch projects worth more than Rs 590 crore during the event at Dr Sampurnanand Sports Stadium.
These include numerous initiatives under the Varanasi smart city and urban projects, such as the development of Namo Ghat in Phase-I along with the building of a bathing jetty; the development of Kameshwar Mahadev ward in Old Kashi; the conversion of 500 boats’ diesel and petrol engines into CNG; creation of a new vending zone and urban place under the Lahartara; construction of over 600 EWS flats in the village of Harhua, Dasepur. According to the report, he would also launch a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing the district’s water and sewage systems. These initiatives include the installation of sewer lines, rehabilitation of an old trunk sewer line in Varanasi City using trenchless technology, installation of over 25,000 sewer house connections in the Trans Varuna area, repair of leaks in the city’s Sis Varuna neighbourhood, rural drinking water programme at Taatepur Village, etc.
Many other projects will be inaugurated related to social and education sector, sports, road infrastructure projects, tourism, etc.