Modi launches work in NTPC's 2000 MW N.Karanpura plant (Roundup)

With three infrastructure projects inaugurated Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off eight infrastructure projects in the last 10 days before the model code of conduct begins to apply in three poll-bound states.

The 3 states in question - Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana - besides Jammu and Kashmir are due to have their assembly elections before the end of the year.

Modi flew into Ranchi to inaugurate the the 765kV Ranchi-Dharamjaygarh-Sipat inter-regional transmission line of the Power Grid Corp's grid transmission situated at Bero in Ranchi.

The Bero grid has been built at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore.

He also laid the foundation stone for a 2,000 MW power plant of the National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC) in North Karanpura. He also inaugurated four other projects or laid foundation stones.

The prime minister expressed unhappiness over North Karanpura project which has been pending for 15 years.

"Former prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid the foundation stone of the project but no work took place in the last 10 years," he said, referring to the decade of Congress rule.

"I will complete the project," he added.

Modi later left for Maharashtra a second time to dedicate to the nation NTPC's 1000 MW 'he Mouda Super Thermal Power Project in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, stage I of

which began commercial generation in March 2014 when the UPA was in power.

At the Mouda dedication, Modi said the country's rural areas need adequate electricity supply to increase productivity and in turn prevent farmer suicides.

"We have to bring a qualitative change in people's lives in rural areas and have to begin with providing them adequate electricity. We must ensure that villages have access to 24-hour electricity," Modi said.

The prime minister said it was sad that farmers were forced to commit suicide because of inadequate power supply affecting their productivity.

"For a nation to develop, the focus must be on infrastructure," he said.

Modi also spoke of the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and appealed to the farmers to avail of the benefits of the scheme, which included a bank account, a debit card, and an insurance amount of Rs.100,000.

On Tuesday, Modi visited Haryana to lay the foundation stone of the 166 km Kaithal-Rajasthan border section of national highway NH-152/65.

Earler this month, Modi dedicated to the nation the 45 megawatt Nimoo-Bazgo Chutak hydroelectric project in Kargil district and the 45 MW Nimoo Bazgo hydro-electricproject in Leh district, besides laying the foundation stone of the Rs.1,700 crore, 330 km long Srinagar-Leh transmission line, all in Jammu and Kashmir.