Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Gujarat on 7th and 8th October 2017, during which he inaugurated several development projects.
PM lays foundation stone for Rajkot International Airport
On October 7, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for second airport in Rajkot.
- Gujarat government had proposed this new Greenfield Airport at Hirasar, Rajkot, as the existing airport in Rajkot is capacity constrained with no further scope for expansion.
- This new airport will be built by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
- AAI has been allotted 2534 acres land for this purpose on which it will undertake development work at a cost of Rs 1405 crore in the initial phase.
PM inaugurated the 6-laning of Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway at Chotila
On October 7, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Chotila, in Surendranagar district of Gujarat.
- He inaugurated the six-laning of Ahmedabad-Rajkot National Highway and four-laning of Rajkot-Morbi State Highway.
- He also dedicated a fully automatic milk processing and packaging plant; and a drinking water distribution pipeline for Joravarnagar and Ratanpur area of Surendranagar.
PM lays foundation stone for bridge in Dwarka
On October 7, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a four-lane cable-stayed bridge between Okha and Beyt Dwarka
- PM Modi mentioned that the bridge was a link between old and new Dwarka.
- The bridge will be 32 km long.
- It will be constructed at a cost of Rs 962.43 crore.
PM launched Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan Scheme in Gandhinagar,
During his Gujarat visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan Scheme aimed at imparting digital literacy to citizens in rural areas.
Salient Feature of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan:
- This scheme aims at making at last 6 crore people in rural areas digitally literate.
- It is expected to reach around 40% per cent rural households by March 31, 2019.
- Under this scheme, people in rural areas will be trained to operate a computer, tablet, smartphones, and to use the Internet for accessing government services, undertake digital payment, compose e-mails, etc.
PM launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush
On October 8, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) at Vadnagar in Gujarat.
Salient Features of Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI):
- This programme will cover each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme.
- Immunization coverage in select districts and cities will be improved to ensure full immunization to more than 90% by December 2018. Earlier, Government had set the target to achieve 90% immunisation coverage by 2020.
- Emphasis will be laid of Inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination, action-based review mechanism and intensified monitoring and accountability framework for effective implementation of targeted rapid interventions to improve the routine immunization coverage during the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI).
Country’s first marine police training institute to be set up at Dev Bhoomi Dwarka
On October 7, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of India’s first “Marine Police Training Institute” at Dev Bhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat.
- The training provided at this institute will be different as compared to the training to the police force. The personnel will be trained to provide security within 5 kilometers boundary along the coastline.
- The institute will train marine police force the way Indian Air Force (IAF) trains its pilots at Jamnagar, Gujarat.
