Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Maharashtra on January 12, 2024.
i.During his visit, PM Modi inaugurated Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu in Navi Mumbai.
ii.He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth Rs 12,700 crore.
PM Modi Inaugurated Atal Setu:
PM inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) named “Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewari-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu” in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
This 21.8 km long 6-lane bridge becomes the longest bridge and also the longest sea bridge in India.
About Atal Setu Bridge:
i.Around 16.5 km of the bridge is over the sea and 5.5 km is on the land.
ii.The bridge has been built at a total cost of more than Rs 17,840 crore.
iii.The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by PM Modi in December 2016.
Benefits: It will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai to 15-20 minutes. It will also improve connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawahar Lal Nehru Port.
Other Development Projects:
i.He inaugurated phase 1 of the Surya regional bulk drinking water project, developed at a cost of more than Rs 1975 crore. This will provide drinking water supply to the Palghar and Thane districts of Maharashtra and benefit about 14 lakh people.
ii.PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the underground road tunnel which will connect Eastern Freeways’s Orange Gate to Marine Drive in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a 9.2 km long tunnel built at a cost of more than Rs 8700 crore.
- This will boost the infrastructure development in Mumbai and reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marine Drive.
Rail Projects:
PM Modi dedicated railway projects worth about Rs 2000 crores to the Nation.
Phase 2 of the Kharkopar-Uran line:
PM Modi inaugurated 14.3 km long Phase 2 of the Kharkopar-Uran line, an extension of the current 12.4 km-long Belapur/Nerul-Kharkopar section. He also flagged off the inaugural run of the EMU (Electric Multiple Units) train from Uran railway station to Kharkopar.
About the Project:
i.It is built at an estimated cost of Rs 2,973.35 crore. The project cost is shared between CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra) and Indian Railways in a ratio of 67: 33 respectively.
ii.At present, 40 suburban services are operating on this route. The extension to Uran will improve connectivity to the region which includes SEZ.
Other Rail Sector projects:
i.He also inaugurated an 8.8 km long 6th rail line between Khar and Goregaon. It has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 425 crore. The project was completed in November 2023.
ii.He also inaugurated a new suburban station “Digha Gaon” on the Thane –Vashi/ Panvel trans harbour line. It will help to alleviate congestion at Thane and Airoli stations on the route.
PM Modi Inaugurated Bharat Ratnam:
PM Modi inaugurated Bharat Ratnam which is a Mega Common Facilitation Center (CFC) for the gems and jewellery sector at Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone- Special Economic Zone (SEEPZ- SEZ) in Mumbai. This is the first-of-its-kind centre in India with the best available machines in the world including 3D metal printing.
About Bharat Ratnam:
i.It is a socio-economic project promoted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GJEPC (Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council) India and SEEPZ- SEZ authority.
ii.Its main objective is to create world-class infrastructure which will further give a boost to the skills of gems and jewellery manufacturing industry.
It will provide training and skilling for artisans including specially-abled students.
iii.It aims to double the SEZ export target from USD 7 billion to 15 billion.
New Enterprises and Services Tower (NEST)-01
PM also inaugurated the New Enterprises and Services Tower (NEST)-01 at SEEPZ- SEZ in Mumbai. It is primarily designed and developed to give a boost to large-scale production in the gem and jewellery sector. It will be relocated from the existing Standard Factory-I.
PM launched Nari Shakti Doot App
PM Modi launched the Nari Shakti Doot mobile application. The app is the brainchild of Aditi Thakre, Minister for Women and Child Development, Maharashtra.
The app will provide all information related to various schemes and initiatives launched for women by the state government. It aims to create awareness among women about their rights and benefits which they can avail from various state government schemes.
PM Launched Namo Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyan
During his visit, PM Modi launched Namo Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyan to boost women empowerment in Maharashtra by providing skill development training and exposure to entrepreneurship development. Under the campaign, efforts will be made to converge women’s development schemes of the state and central governments.
PM Modi Inaugurated the 27th National Youth Festival
During his visit to Maharashtra, PM Modi inaugurated the 27th National Youth Festival organised as a part of the National Youth Day 2024 (12th January 2024) in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The theme of the 2024 youth festival, held from 12th to 16th January 2024, is “Viksit Bharat @2047- Yuva ke liye, Yuva ke Dwara”.
Key People: Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MoYAS); Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra; and Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Deputy CMs of Maharashtra.
About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister(CM)– Eknath Shinde
Governor– Ramesh Bias
National Park– Navegaon National Park; Chandoli National Park
Wildlife sanctuaries– Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary; Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary
About Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council(GJEPC):
GJEPC is the apex body driving India’s export-led growth in the gem and jewellery sector.
Chairman– Vipul Shah
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in 1966
