Banaskantha, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Friday to launch and lay the foundation stones for sweeping development projects valued at over Rs 14,400 crore in Banaskantha district and to celebrate the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
PM Modi will also release around Rs 19,000 crore as the 24th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
In Banaskantha, the Prime Minister will dedicate the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi to the nation.
Spread over 127 acres, the facility is designed 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 capacities to process 75 metric tonnes and 100 metric tonnes of cattle dung per day, respectively.
Among the major infrastructure projects, PM Modi 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 new child-friendly Anganwadi centres and inaugurate 361 completed centres across Gujarat.
The initiative involves an investment of Rs 800 crore and is expected to benefit more than four lakh people.
PM Modi will dedicate 521 projects completed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to the nation.
The Prime Minister will flag off the Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)-Varanasi Express and the Mehsana-Becharaji-Sabarmati MEMU service to strengthen rail connectivity.
He will also mark the start of on-ground activities under 12 approved horticulture clusters covering around 1.46 lakh hectares and expected to benefit more than 1.3 lakh farmers. Two clusters in North Gujarat will focus on potatoes.
The release of the 24th PM-KISAN instalment will provide financial assistance to farmers across the country, with the total disbursement amounting to around Rs 19,000 crore.
PM Modi will travel to Ekta Nagar, where he will inaugurate 'Bharat Parv 2026'.
The Prime Minister will later witness 'Ekta Prakash Parv', a festival of illumination highlighting India's cultural diversity and national unity, followed by the Narmada Aarti.
More than 1.5 crore LED lights have been used in the displays, with artworks created by artists from across India.
On October 31, PM Modi will offer floral tributes at the Statue of Unity before inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for projects worth more than Rs 400 crore in Ekta Nagar.
The works 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 projects involving the development of Gora-Bhandra Road, an integrated zero-waste smart solid waste management system, Khalwani eco-tourism and integrated development of the Cactus and Butterfly Garden.
The celebrations commemorating Sardar Patel's 151st birth anniversary will feature a parade by the Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations.
This year's parade will place particular emphasis on security forces' achievements in combating Left-Wing Extremism and the transformation of previously affected areas towards peace, security and development.
A theatrical presentation on 'Naxal Mukt Bharat', organised by the National School of Drama, will feature around 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
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