By Our Correspondent
RAIPUR/BHUBANESWAR: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various development projects worth around Rs 7500 crores in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Friday.
Governor of Chhattisgarh, Shri Biswabhusan Harichandan, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Bhupesh Baghel, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri T S Singh Deo, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, and Members of Parliament among others were present on the occasion.
In a major push towards infrastructure development, the Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone for 5 National Highway projects worth around Rs 6,400 crores. The projects that will be dedicated to the nation include the 33 km long 4-laning of the Raipur to Kodebod section on the Jabalpur-Jagdalpur National Highway.
Besides boosting tourism, the section is integral for the movement of raw goods, finished products of Steel plants near Jagdalpur and provides connectivity to iron ore-rich areas. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the 53 km long 4-lane Bilaspur-Pathrapali stretch of Bilaspur to Ambikapur section of NH-130. It will help improve the connectivity of Chhattisgarh with Uttar Pradesh and will boost the movement of coal by providing connectivity to coal mines in adjoining areas.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for 3 National Highway projects for the Chhattisgarh Section of the 6-lane Greenfield Raipur – Visakhapatnam corridor. These include the development of a 43 km long six-lane Jhanki-Sargi section on NH 130 CD; a 57 km long six-lane Sargi-Basanwahi section on NH 130 CD; and a 25 km long six-lane Basanwahi-Marangpuri section of NH-130 CD.
A key component is a 6-Lane tunnel of 2.8 km in length which comprises 27 animal passes and 17 monkey canopies for unrestricted wildlife movement in the Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary area. These projects will provide better connectivity to rice mills in Dhamtari and bauxite-rich areas in Kanker and also benefit the handicraft industry in Kondagaon. Overall, these projects will give a major thrust to the socio-economic development of the region.
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the doubling of 103 km long Raipur – Khariar Road Rail Line which has been completed at a cost of Rs 750 crores. It will ease transportation of coal, steel, fertilizers and other commodities from ports for industries in Chhattisgarh. He also dedicated to the nation a 17 km long new railway line connecting Keoti – Antagarh developed at a cost of Rs 290 crores. The new railway line will provide connectivity to Bhilai Steel Plant with Iron Ore Mines of Dalli Rajhara and Rowghat areas and will link remote areas of southern Chhattisgarh passing through dense forests.
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation a bottling plant of the Indian Oil Corporation with a capacity of 60 thousand metric tons per annum at Korba, constructed at a cost of over Rs 130 crores. He also flagged off Antagarh – Raipur Train via video link. Further, the Prime Minister initiated the distribution of 75 lakh cards to the beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat.
