Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi paid a one-day visit to his constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. During the visit, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth INR 1500 crores.
- He inaugurated Projects worth around INR 744 crores which includes 100 bed Mother & Child Hospital (MCH) wing in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), multi-level parking at Godauliya, Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) Vessels for tourism development on River Ganga and 3 lane flyover bridge on the Varanasi-Ghazipur Highway.
- He laid Foundation stones for several projects and public works worth INR 839 crores. It includes Centre for Skill and Technical Support of Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET), 143 rural projects under Jal Jeevan Mission and Mango and vegetable integrated pack house in Karkhiyaon.
- ‘Rudraksh’ – an International Cooperation and Convention Centre was also inaugurated by PM Modi.
- Several projects under PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme were also inaugurated.
Key Points from PM’s Address
i.The City of Varanasi is set to become a medical hub of Purvanchal region.
- At present, schemes worth INR 8000 crore are under work for development of infrastructure in Varanasi.
ii.The newly inaugurated Ro-Ro Service and cruise service will boost tourism in the city.
iii.CIPET for which foundation stone was laid will help in industrial development of the city.
PM Inaugurates ‘Rudraksh’ Convention Centre
‘Rudraksh’ – an International Cooperation & Convention Center built at a cost ~ INR 200 crore was inaugurated by PM.
- The centre has been built with financial assistance from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provided a grant of 3,042 million Japanese Yen (~ INR 200 crore) under Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance) scheme.
- The Foundation stone for the centre was laid by then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Varanasi in 2015.
i.The Centre will make Varanasi an attractive destination for conferences, and will draw more tourists and businesspersons to Varanasi.
ii.It aims to provide opportunities for social and cultural interactions between people at the International Convention Centre.
- It is expected to strengthen Varanasi’s competitiveness by developing its tourism sector.
iii.The centre has built in an environment friendly way and fits for Level 3 of
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA).
- GRIHA is a rating tool which evaluates the environmental performance of a building. GRIHA Council is an independent not-for-profit society established jointly by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
PM Modi Inaugurates Projects under PRASHAD Scheme – Phase II
PM Modi inaugurated various development projects in Varanasi which includes Tourist Facilitation Centre under the Project ‘Development of Varanasi under PRASHAD Scheme – Phase II’.
- It includes Operation of Cruise Boat from Assi Ghat to RajGhat under the project ‘Development of River Cruise inVaranasi under PRASHAD Scheme’.
PRASHAD Scheme
The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) is a Central Sector Scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism in 2014-15.
- It aims at integrated development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations through infrastructure development.
i.The project ‘Development of Varanasi under PRASHAD Scheme – Phase II’ was approved by the Ministry of Tourism with the cost of INR 44.69 crores in February 2018.
ii.The project ‘Development of River Cruise in Varanasi under PRASHAD Scheme’ was approved by the Ministry of Tourism with the cost of INR 10.72 crore in February 2018.
Recent Related News:
On February 25, 2021, PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone for various projects in Puducherry & Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).
About Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Capital – Lucknow
