India

PM Modi Launches ₹14,000 Crore Development Projects in Gujarat’s Banaskantha

By ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow in Banaskantha, Gujarat, on Friday during a two‑day visit to the state. He will release the 24th instalment of PM‑KISAN, amounting to ₹19,000 crore, to provide financial assistance to farmers nationwide. Modi is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹14,000 crore in the district.

Among the projects is the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi, a 127‑acre Centre of Excellence dedicated to the Kankrej cattle breed. The facility aims to strengthen bovine breeding, genetic up‑gradation and advanced reproductive technologies, and is expected to accelerate breed improvement by 10–20 times.

Modi will also lay foundation stones for two Bio‑CNG plants of Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur, with dung‑processing capacities of 75 and 100 metric tonnes per day, respectively.

Key infrastructure projects include foundation stones for Ahmedabad Metro Phase‑2A (Airport Extension) and Phase‑2B (GIFT City Extension). Phase‑2A will cover over 6 km with five stations from Koteshwar Road to the airport, while Phase‑2B will span 3.3 km with three stations from GIFT City to Shahpur.

He will also lay the foundation for upgrading the Ahmedabad‑Mehsana Road (State Highway‑41) from four lanes to eight lanes at a cost of about ₹2,600 crore, improving connectivity between Ahmedabad and North Gujarat.

Other initiatives include laying foundation stones for 4,030 new child‑friendly Anganwadi centres and inaugurating 361 completed centres in Gujarat. The ₹800‑crore investment is expected to benefit more than 400,000 people.

Modi will dedicate 521 projects completed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, with a total cost of around ₹4,950 crore. These projects include cold storage facilities, cold chains, warehouses, silos, polyhouses, greenhouses and integrated processing facilities.

Additional programmes include inaugurating an expanded potato processing plant at Sanadar and commissioning an automated storage and retrieval system for ultra‑high‑temperature products at Palanpur. Modi will also flag off the Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)‑Varanasi Express and Mehsana‑Becharaji‑Sabarmati MEMU train services to strengthen rail connectivity.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will also mark the start of on‑ground activities under 12 approved horticulture clusters covering approximately 146,000 hectares, expected to benefit more than 130,000 farmers. Two clusters in North Gujarat will focus on potato production.

On October 31, Modi will travel to Ekta Nagar in Kevadia to offer floral tributes at the Statue of Unity and participate in Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He will inaugurate Bharat Parv 2026, a cultural heritage festival that will run until November 15, providing a platform for states and union territories to showcase traditions, folk performances, regional cuisines, handicrafts and tourist attractions.

The festival will feature the Ekta Prakash Parv, with illuminated displays celebrating India’s unity, diversity, cultural heritage and progress. Highlights include a 530‑metre‑long illuminated Valley of Flowers Road themed ‘From Ancient India to Modern India’ and a 180‑metre‑long Glow Tunnel themed ‘Unity in India’s Diversity’, illuminated with more than 1.5 crore LED lights.

Modi will also inaugurate and dedicate development projects worth over ₹400 crore in Ekta Nagar, including a sewage and water treatment plant, façade lighting, the upgrade of Narmada Ghat, an IRCTC hotel and tourism facilities. He will lay foundation stones for additional projects such as Gora‑Bhandra Road development, an integrated zero‑waste smart solid waste management project, Khalwani Eco‑Tourism Development and integrated development at the Cactus and Butterfly Garden.

The two‑day visit will conclude with Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations, during which the Ekta Parade will showcase the discipline, professionalism and dedication of Central Armed Police Forces, State Police Forces and Central Police Organisations, with a special emphasis on achievements in combating left‑wing extremism and transforming previously affected areas toward peace, security and development.