By SUDHIR KUMAR
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth around Rs 18 thousand crore during his visit to Dehradun on Saturday and.
A significant focus of the visit will be on projects to improve road infrastructure, which will make travel smooth and safer, and also increase tourism in the region. This is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to boost connectivity in the areas which were once considered far-flung.
Mr Modi will lay the foundation stone of eleven development projects. This includes the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor from Eastern Peripheral Expressway Junction to Dehradun which will be built at a cost of around 8 thousand 300 crore. It will significantly reduce the travel time from Delhi to Dehradun from six hours to around 2.5 hours. It will have seven major interchanges for connectivity to Haridwar, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Yamunagar, Baghpat, Meerut and Baraut. It will have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor of 12 kilometres for unrestricted wildlife movement.
The greenfield alignment project from Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, connecting Halgoa, Saharanpur to Bhadrabad, Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over two thousand crore rupees. The Haridwar Ring Road Project from Manoharpur to Kangri, to be built at a cost of over 16 hundred crore rupees. The Dehradun – Paonta Sahib road project to be constructed at a cost of around 17 hundred crore rupees.
A bridge across River Ganga next to the Lakshman Jhula will also be constructed and it will have provision of a glass deck for people walking and will also allow light weight vehicles to move across.
Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Child Friendly City Project, Dehradun, to make the city child friendly by making the roads safer for their travel. Foundation stone for projects related to development of water supply, road and drainage system in Dehradun at a cost of over 700 crore rupees will also be laid.
In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to develop smart spiritual towns and upgrade tourism related infrastructure, the foundation stone for infrastructure development works at Shri Badrinath Dham and Gangotri-Yamunotri Dham will be laid. Also, a new Medical College in Haridwar will be constructed at a cost of over 500 crore rupees.
Prime Minister will also inaugurate seven projects, including those which focus on making travel safer by tackling the problem of chronic landslides in the region.
Also being inaugurated are the road widening project from Devprayag to Srikot, and from Brahmpuri to Kodiyala on NH-58, under Chardham road connectivity project.
The 120 Mega Watt Vyasi Hydroelectric Project, built over River Yamuna at a cost of over 17 hundred crore rupees will also be inaugurated, along with a Himalayan Culture Center at Dehradun. The Himalayan Culture Centre will house a state level museum, 800 seat art auditorium, library, conference hall, etc. which will help people follow cultural activities as well as appreciate cultural heritage of the State.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the State of Art Perfumery and Aroma Laboratory Centre for Aromatic Plants in Dehradun.