Journalism of Courage
PM Narendra Modi Friday gifted seven infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,782 crore to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. He called it a first step towards developing Varanasi as a ‘Smart City’. At a function at DLW ground, he launched a Rs 60,000-crore Integrated Power Development Scheme for the country. A major share of this — Rs 45,000 crore — will be paid by the Centre. In Varanasi, projects worth Rs 572 crore will be developed. Under IPDS, two power sub-stations will be set up in Varanasi.
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Modi also laid foundation stone of a 16.5-km Varanasi Ring Road phase-I project worth Rs 415.30 crore, and another Rs 630-crore project to widen and upgrade the 17.25-km stretch of national highway 56 from Varanasi to Babatpur airport.
Further, he inaugurated the trauma centre and super specialty hospital of Banaras Hindu University. Worth Rs 165 crore, it is the biggest trauma centre in the country with 334 beds.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said the IPDS scheme was being launched from Varanasi because the father of MoS (Independent) for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal had studied engineering at BHU. “The IPDS will help in meeting the target of providing round-the-clock power supply even in remote and forest areas by 2022 when the country celebrates its 75 years of freedom…” he added.
