PM to visit 4 states next week, to launch projects worth Rs 27,000 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on April 24 and 25 to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth more than Rs 27,000 crore.

During his visit, Modi will participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, inaugurate the integrated eGramSwaraj and the GeM portal for public procurement at the panchayat level and hand over around 35 lakh "SVAMITVA" property cards to the owners on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

He will also participate in a programme marking the "Griha Pravesh" of more than four lakh beneficiaries of the Centre's housing scheme for the rural poor, the statement said.

The prime minister will flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express train, inaugurate the Kochi Water Metro and dedicate to the nation the NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute at Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on Tuesday. He will also inaugurate the Devka Seafront in Daman.

On the National Panchayati Raj Day (April 24), Modi will address all the "gram sabhas" and Panchayati Raj institutions across the country. The objective of the eGramSwaraj and the Government eMarketplace integration is to enable the panchayats to procure their goods and services through GeM, leveraging the eGramSwaraj platform, the PMO noted.

With the aim of taking forward people's participation towards ensuring a saturation coverage of government schemes, Modi will unveil a campaign named "vikas ki ore sajhe kadam" (taking collective steps towards development). The theme of the campaign will be inclusive development, with a focus on reaching the last mile, the PMO said.

With Modi set to hand over around 35 lakh SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Area) cards to the beneficiaries, around 1.25 crore property cards would have been distributed under the scheme after the programme at Reva.

He will launch railway projects worth around Rs 4,200 crore. The projects that will be inaugurated include 100 per cent rail electrification in Madhya Pradesh, while the foundation stone for the re-development of the Gwalior station will be laid as well. The prime minister will also lay the foundation stones of projects worth about Rs 7,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the statement said.

Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express will run between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod and cover 11 districts. The prime minister will also inaugurate or lay the foundation stones of several other projects.

The PMO noted that the prime minister had laid the foundation stone of the NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute in Silvassa in January 2019 and the institute will bring in transformation in healthcare services for the residents of the Union territory.

The state-of-the-art medical college includes latest research centres, a 24x7 central library with access to national and international journals, specialised medical staff, medical laboratories, smart lecture halls, research laboratories, an anatomy museum, a clubhouse, sports facilities as well as residences for students and faculty members.