India

Modi Launches 31 Projects Worth ₹426.71 Crore to Boost Ekta Nagar Tourism

By Livemint

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 23 development projects costing ₹307.83 crore and laid foundation stones for eight more projects worth ₹118.88 crore in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on Saturday, according to PTI. The 31 projects, totaling ₹426.71 crore, aim to expand tourist attractions, improve connectivity and upgrade public amenities in the area that has become a major tourism destination after the Statue of Unity was opened.

The announcements include a new hotel, a cruise facility, a rainforest attraction, an eco‑trail, improved transport infrastructure and waste‑management facilities. Among the major attractions inaugurated is an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotel built at a cost of ₹50 crore, expected to strengthen accommodation for visitors to the Statue of Unity. The government also introduced the Ekta Cruise, built at ₹16 crore, a rainforest facility at ₹14.30 crore and an Eco‑Trail costing ₹3.67 crore.

Other projects launched by the prime minister include the ‘Ekta Prakash Parv’ heritage display, exterior lighting within the Statue of Unity campus and an upgraded Unity Glow Garden. Significant investment has gone into transport and visitor convenience: travelators worth ₹28.22 crore, a 24‑metre colony road at ₹23 crore, two nine‑metre‑long air‑conditioned electric buses, and an extension of the walkway connecting Ekta Nagar railway station to the Visitor Centre.

Additional facilities inaugurated are a terminal building and jetty near Mokhadi village, water stations at various locations, staff quarters valued at ₹14.25 crore, a sewage treatment plant at ₹45.53 crore and a water treatment plant at ₹21.40 crore. A parade track and related infrastructure costing ₹23.81 crore were also opened.

The next phase of development will include a Smart Zero Waste integrated waste‑management facility estimated at ₹36.58 crore. Foundation stones were laid for eight initiatives, including the Gora‑Bhanadra Road at ₹59.32 crore, the Smart Zero Waste facility, the Khalwani Bridge at ₹7.72 crore, a cactus and butterfly garden at ₹5.79 crore, Khalwani Eco‑Tourism development at ₹5.15 crore, widening of Vaghadia Road and a disaster control room for the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

These projects form part of the Gujarat government’s broader effort to develop Ekta Nagar and the Statue of Unity region into a major tourism destination through new attractions, improved transport links and upgraded civic infrastructure.