BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in poll-bound Karnataka’s northern districts of Yadgiri and Kalaburagi on Thursday to lay foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth more than Rs 10,800 crore.
He will also inaugurate and lay foundation stones for a string of projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore aimed at developing infrastructure, easing urban travel, and strengthening healthcare during his visit to Mumbai on Thursday.
This will be the second visit by the Prime Minister to Karnataka in January. He was in Hubballi on January 12 to inaugurate the National Youth Festival, during which he had held a massive roadshow.
According to an official release, around 12 noon, in Kodekal, Yadgiri district, the PM will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate developmental projects related to irrigation, and drinking water besid-es a National Highway development project.
Later, around 2.15 pm, Modi will reach Malkhed, Kalaburagi district, where he will distribute title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of newly-declared revenue villages and also lay the foundation stone for a National Highway project.
The PM will dedicate to the nation the Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7, worth around Rs 12,600 crore. He will also lay the foundation stones for seven sewage treatment plants, a road concretisation project, and redevelopment of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at a function to be held on the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex.
The visit also gains significance, as the ruling BJP prepares for assembly polls in Karnataka and has set a target of winning a minimum of 150 out of total 224 seats which will go for polls by May.
Sharing details about the PM's visit, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said: “Narayanpur Left Bank Canal modernisation project that Modi will be inaugurating tomorrow is one of its kind in Asia, which is funded by both Centre and state government. It is a milestone in our irrigation. PM dedicating it will inspire us to take up more such projects.”
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set its eyes on the cash-rich Mumbai civic body to dislodge the rival Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction from power in the civic elections, the schedule for which is yet to be announced. The 18.6 km-long Mumbai Metro Rail line 2A connects suburban Dahisar (East) with the 16.5 km-long DN Nagar (yellow line) while the metro line 7 joints Andheri (East) with Dahisar (East). Interestingly, the foundation stones of these lines were laid by PM Modi in 2015. He will also launch MUMBAI 1 Mobile App and National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1). The app will facilitate ease of travel which can be shown at the entry gates of Metro stations. It supports digital payment to buy tickets through UPI. The Card will initially be used in metro corridors and can be extended to other modes of mass public transit including local trains and buses as well, the release said. Commuters will not need to carry multiple cards or cash, it said, adding the NCMC card will enable quick, contact-less digital transactions, easing the process with a seamless experience. The seven sewage treatment plants for which PM Modi will lay the foundation stone will be built at a cost of around Rs 17,200 crore. These plants will be set up in suburban Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi and Worli. They will have a combined capacity of around 2,460 MLD.
