PM Modi to open Gandhinagar Ayush summit in WHO chief’s presence

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On April 19, Modi will lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects at Banas Dairy Sankul in Diyodar, in Banaskantha district, and later for the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar. The new dairy complex and potato processing plant at Diyodar, built at a cost of over Rs. 600 crore, is a greenfield project. “It will enable the processing of about 30 lakh litres of milk, produce about 80 tonnes of butter, one lakh litres of ice cream, 20 tonnes of condensed milk and six tonnes of chocolate daily,” the government release said. “The potato processing plant will produce different types of processed potato products like french fries, potato chips, aloo tikki, patties etc, many of which will be exported to other countries. These plants will empower the local farmers and give a boost to the rural economy in the region,” the release added.

Modi will also inaugurate the Banas community radio station, established to provide farmers with key scientific information related to agriculture and animal husbandry. It is expected that the radio station will connect with over 5 lakh farmers of about 1,700 villages. Expanded facilities for the production of cheese products and whey powder at the Banas dairy plant in Palanpur and an organic manure and biogas plant established at Dama are also on the list of projects to be inaugurated on April 19. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone for four biogas plants of 100 tonnes capacity to be established at Khimana, Ratanpura – Bhildi, Radhanpur and Thawar.

From Banaskantha, Modi will head to Jamnagar to lay the foundation stone of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. “GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness,” the release said.

On April 20, Modi will inaugurate the three-day Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar in the presence of Jugnauth and Ghebreyesus. Five plenary sessions, eight round-tables, six workshops, and two symposiums involving around 90 eminent speakers and 100 exhibitors are planned for the summit to uncover investment potential and give a fillip to innovation, research and development, the startup ecosystem and the wellness industry.

Modi’s last stop will be Dahod, where he will attend the Adijati Maha Sammelan in Kharod village and inaugurate as well as lay the foundation stones of various development projects for Dahod and Panchmahal districts worth around Rs 22,000 crore. The projects include the Dahod District Southern Area Regional Water Supply Scheme, constructed in the Narmada river basin, worth around Rs 840 crore, which will cater to around 280 villages. The Dahod Smart City project worth around Rs 335 crore includes the integrated command and control centre building, a stormwater drainage system, sewerage works, solid waste management system and a rainwater harvesting system as well as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana benefits worth Rs 120 crore to be provided to 10,000 tribals of Panchmahal and Dahod districts. The prime minister will also inaugurate the 66 KV Ghodia substation, panchayat houses, Anganwadis and an animal care centre for Dahod district, among other projects.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone for the manufacturing of 9,000 HP Electric Locomotives at the production unit and for a project to upgrade the Dahod workshop, established in 1926 for a periodic overhaul of steam locomotives, to an electric locomotive manufacturing unit with infrastructural improvements.

“It will provide direct and indirect employment to over 10,000 people,” the release said. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of various projects of the State government worth around Rs 550 crore. This includes water supply-related projects worth about Rs 300 crore, Dahod Smart City projects worth around Rs 175 crore, works related to the Dudhimati river project, a substation of the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation at Ghodia, among others.