PM Modi to inaugurate Banihal Qazigund tunnel, lay foundation of Rs 20,000 cr projects in J&K tomorrow

PM Modi in J&K: Banihal Qazigund road tunnel, a key developmental project in Jammu and Kashmir, along with other developmental initiatives are set for unveiling by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (April 24).

Built at a cost of over Rs 3,100 crore, the 8.45 km Banihal Qazigund road tunnel would reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km, and also reduce journey time by around one and a half hours.

It is a twin-tube tunnel- one for each direction of travel- with the twin tubes being interconnected by a cross passage every 500 m, for maintenance and emergency evacuation. The tunnel would help establish an all-weather connection between Jammu and Kashmir, and bring the two regions closer.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Ratle and Kwar Hydroelectric projects during his visit to Palli panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir to take part in celebrations of National Panchayati Raj Day.

The 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project will be constructed on the Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of around Rs 5300 crore.

The 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Project will also be built on the Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of over Rs 4500 crore. Both the projects will help meet the power requirements of the region.

The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement said that since the introduction of constitutional reforms with regard to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the government has been focused on bringing about wide-ranging reforms to substantially improve governance and enhance ease of living for the people of the region at an unprecedented pace. 

In order to further expand the network of Jan Aushadi Kendras in Jammu and Kashmir and to make good quality generic medicines at affordable prices available, 100 Kendras have been made functional and will be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister. These Kendras are located in the remote corners of the Union Territory.

He will also inaugurate a 500 KW solar power plant at Palli, which will make it the country’s first panchayat to become carbon neutral. The Prime Minister will hand over SVAMITVA cards to beneficiaries under the scheme. He will also transfer award money to Panchayats which are winners of awards given across different categories on National Panchayati Raj Day for their achievements.

The Prime Minister will also visit the INTACH photo gallery which depicts the rural heritage of the region, and Nokia Smartpur, a rural entrepreneurship-based model designed to create ideal smart villages in India. With a view to ensuring the rejuvenation of water bodies, during the visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister will also launch a new initiative named Amrit Sarovar. It is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country. It is yet another ode of the government towards the celebration of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth around Rs 20,000 crore on Sunday, with the government stating that since the introduction of constitutional reforms with regard to Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the Centre is focused on bringing benefits of development to the people.

The projects being inaugurated and whose foundation stones are being laid during this visit will go a long way in facilitating the provision of basic amenities, ensuring ease of mobility and development of infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a multi-layered security set-up is in place on Saturday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu’s Samba district on Sunday.

The security set-up was beefed up with traffic restrictions after Friday’s terror attack in Jammu city in which two terrorists and a CISF officer were killed.

Despite the attack, residents of Palli village remain unfazed and jubilant about Modi’s visit.

The otherwise sleepy village has come to life in a big way as the locals are enthusiastically waiting for the VVIP visit.

Village elders are unable to recall the last time they witnessed such an outburst of joy and activity.

More than 100 hotels, including the luxury ones, have been booked in Jammu, Bari Brahmana and Samba for the lodging of delegates, who will attend the two-day Panchayat Raj Diwas on Sunday.

The delegates include officials from the government, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Block Development Councils, District Development Councils, as well as senior politicians.

To make the area under the Palli panchayat as “the country’s first carbon-free area”, a solar power project of 500 KVA capacity has been installed to provide electricity to 340 households.

It is estimated that the function will be attended by more than one lakh people.

A high alert has been sounded all along the International Border, while strict security arrangements have been made in the cities of Srinagar and Jammu as well.

The venue of Modi’s function in Palli panchayat has been declared out of bound for the people after a three-tier anti-sabotage exercise was carried out at the venue.

Security around vital installations across Jammu and Kashmir has been further beefed up while security drills like landing of helicopters and high speed movement of vehicles were carried out at the venue.

Traffic advisory in this regard said: “In view of the VVIP visit at Palli Bari Brahmana (venue of function) Samba district on April 24, 2022, the public, PRIs attending the function are advised to adopt the designated routes.”

The security checkpoints connecting Jammu and Kashmir with Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have been strengthened with the additional deployment of security forces and no one is allowed to enter without checking.

(With agencies inputs) 

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