'Viksit Bharat Viksit Rajasthan': Prime Minister Modi Declares Development Projects Worth Rs 17,000 Crore Via Video Conferencing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday (16 February), inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth over Rs 17,000 crore.

The projects cater to several important sectors including roads, railways, solar energy, power transmission, drinking water and petroleum and natural gas.

“When I talk of Viksit Bharat, it is not just a word or an emotion but it is a campaign to make the life of every family prosperous. Viksit Bharat is a campaign to remove poverty, create quality jobs and create modern facilities in the country," Prime Minister said while addressing the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Rajasthan’ programme via video conferencing.

He congratulated the people of Rajasthan for the development projects and added that it will create numerous employment opportunities in the state.

Strengthening the rail infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of eight railway projects of Rajasthan worth around Rs 2,300 crore.

The projects include the electrification of rail routes of Jodhpur-Rai Ka Bagh-Merta Road-Bikaner section (277 km); Jodhpur-Phalodi section (136 km); and Bikaner-Ratangarh-Sadulpur-Rewari section (375 km).

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the Khatipura railway station. The railway station is developed as a satellite station for Jaipur and is equipped with ‘terminal facility’ where trains can originate and terminate.

The other rail projects whose foundation stones are being laid by the Prime Minister include the maintenance facility of Vande Bharat sleeper trains at Bhagat Ki Kothi (Jodhpur); maintenance of all types of rakes like Vande Bharat, LHB etc. at Khatipura (Jaipur); construction of coach care complex for maintenance of trains at Hanumangarh; and doubling of Bandikui to Agra Fort rail line.

The railway sector projects are aimed at modernising rail infrastructure, enhancing safety measures, improving connectivity and facilitating the movement of goods and people more efficiently.

The Prime Minister inaugurated various national highway projects worth more than Rs 5,000 crore in Rajasthan: three packages of eight-Lane Delhi-Mumbai greenfield alignment (NE-4) ie the Baonli-Jhalai road to Mui village section; Hardeoganj village to Mej River section; and section from Takli to Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh border.

These sections will provide faster and improved connectivity in the region. They are also equipped with camouflaged animal underpasses and overpasses, to facilitate unhindered movement of wildlife. Further, noise barriers are also provisioned to minimise the impact on wildlife.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated various other projects that will improve road infrastructure in Jhunjhunu, Abu Road and Tonk districts of Rajasthan.

To boost renewable energy production in the region, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation important solar projects worth around Rs 5,300 crore. Foundation stone of the NLCIL Barsingsar project, a 300 MW solar power project, to be established near Barsingsar Thermal Power Station in Bikaner, Rajasthan was laid.

The solar project is being set up with the latest state-of-the-art technology with high-efficiency bifacial modules manufactured in India, in line with Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He laid the foundation stone of another 300 MW solar power project of NHPC Ltd, under the CPSU scheme phase-II (tranche-III), also to be developed at Bikaner Rajasthan.

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the 300 MW NTPC-Green Energy Limited Nokhra solar photovoltaic project, developed in Bikaner Rajasthan. The solar projects will generate green power, help offset carbon dioxide emissions and lead to economic development of the region.

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation power transmission sector projects worth more than Rs 2,100 crore. These projects are meant for evacuation of power from solar energy zones in Rajasthan, so that the solar power generated in these zones can be transmitted to beneficiaries.

The projects include the Transmission System Strengthening Scheme for evacuation of power from solar energy zones in Rajasthan (8.1 GW) under phase-II part A, part-B1 and transmission system for providing connectivity to renewable energy projects at Bikaner (PG), Fatehgarh-II and Bhadla–II.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 2,400 crore, including projects under Jal Jeevan Mission, which aimed at strengthening the infrastructure to provide clean drinking water in Rajasthan.

The projects signify the Prime Minister’s dedication to providing clean drinking water through individual household tap connections across the country.

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation Indian Oil’s LPG bottling plant at Jodhpur. The bottling plant with state-of-the-art infrastructure and automation system for operation and safety, will lead to employment generation and will cater to the LPG needs of lakhs of customers in the region.

The launch of these development projects in Rajasthan underscores the Prime Minister's relentless efforts to transform Rajasthan's infrastructure landscape and create opportunities for growth and development.