Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh(UP) on 19th November 2022.
- During his visit he inaugurated Arunachal Pradesh’s 1st greenfield airport Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar and dedicate 600 megawatt (MW) Kameng Hydro Power Station to the Nation.
- He also inaugurate ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
PM’s Visit To Arunachal Pradesh:
Inauguration of Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar:
PM Modi inaugurated Arunachal Pradesh’s 1st greenfield airport Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar with an aim to boost connectivity in the North-East region.
- The airport is named “Donyi Polo” to reflect the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and its indigenous reverence for the Sun (‘Donyi’) and the Moon (‘Polo’).
About the Donyi Polo Airport:
i.Donyi Polo Airport has been developed in an area of around 690 acres at the cost of Rs. 640 crore. The airport is built 25 km from the capital city of Itanagar on undeveloped land.
ii.The airport which is suitable for all weather day operations features a 2300 m runway.
iii.The modern building of the airport terminal promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources.
Benefits:
The airport will improve connectivity in the northeast region as well as enhance the growth of trade and tourism in the region. This will boost the economic development of this region.
Key Points:
i.Donyi Polo Airport will become the 3rd operational airport for Arunachal Pradesh, taking the total count in North-East (NE) region to 16.
ii.Between 1947 to 2014 only 9 airports were built in the NE Region. In the past 7 years, 7 new airports were built in this region.
Additional info:
i.Airports in 5 NE states – Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have – seen flights take off for the first time in 75 years.
ii.Since 2014, the NE region has witnessed an increase in aircraft movement by 113%. The aircraft movement in the region has increased from 852 per week in 2014 to 1817 per week in 2022.
600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station:
During his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, PM Modi also dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station developed at a cost of Rs 8450 crore to the Nation. This is the biggest Hydro Power Project implemented by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO Ltd), a Mini Ratna Power Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
- The Kameng Hydro Power Station is spread across 80 kilometres(Km) in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh.
Note: NEEPCO Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Maharatna, NTPC Ltd.
Key People:
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law & Justice; Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.), Chief Minister(CM) of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, Deputy CM of Arunachal Pradesh, Chowna Mein and Nabam Rebia, Member of Parliament(MP) were present during the event.
Features:
i.The Kameng Hydro Power Station has 2 dams and a powerhouse having 4 units of 150 MW to generate 3353 million units of electricity.
ii.This project will form part of the projected hydro capacity addition of 30000 MW by 2030.
Key Points:
i.This hydropower station, generating 3353 Million Units annually, will support Arunachal Pradesh to become a power surplus state and benefit the National Grid in terms of grid stability and integration.
ii.This power station will also support to achieve India’s commitment to increase the adoption of green energy.
PM’s Visit to Uttar Pradesh(UP):
PM Modi inaugurated the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’, a month-long programme, organised in Kashi (Varanasi), UP. This is in line with PM’s vision to promote the idea of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
- Indian Institute Of Technology–Madras(IIT-M) (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, are the implementing agencies for the programme.
Objective of Kashi Tamil Sangamam:
To celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old association between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, the 2 most important and ancient seats of learning in India.
Aim of Kashi Tamil Sangamam:
To provide an opportunity for people from all walks of life including scholars, students, philosophers, traders, artisans, artists and others from Kashi and Tamil Nadu to come together and share their knowledge, culture and best practices and learn from each others’ experience.
Key Points:
i.As a part of this initiative, more than 2500 delegates from Tamil Nadu will be visiting Kashi. The delegates will participate in seminars, visits sites and interact with local people of similar trade, profession and interest.
ii.A month-long exhibition of handlooms, handicrafts, One District One Product(ODOP) products, books, documentaries, cuisine, art forms, history, and tourist places of both Tamil Nadu and Kashi will be organised in Kashi.
Recent Related News:
i.On October 9-11, 2022, the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi was on a 3-day visit to Gujarat to launch new projects and inaugurate a few completed projects. After that, he visited Madhya Pradesh to dedicate Phase I of the Mahakaal Lok Project.
- PM Narendra Modi visited the Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat where he dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3900 crore. He also declared the Modhera village as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village.
- PM inaugurated the Phase 1 of Modi Shaikshanik Sankul, an educational complex for needy students, in Ahmedabad.
ii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Gujarat on October 19-20, 2022 and dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 15,670 crore.
- PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘DefExpo22’ during his visit to Gujarat at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The theme of the expo is “Path to Pride.”
About Arunachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Pema Khandu
Governor– Brigadier (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd)
Wildlife Sanctuary– Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary; Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve- Namdapha Tiger Reserve; Pakhui Tiger Reserve
About Uttar Pradesh(UP):
Chief Minister– Yogi Adityanath
Governor– Anandiben Patel
Wildlife Sanctuary– Katarniya Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve– Pilibhit Tiger Reserve; Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
