New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh will be showered with several gifts on the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
During his visit to Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the country’s first Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project in Khajuraho on Wednesday. He will also inaugurate the country’s first Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project. The foundation stone will be laid for 1153 Atal Gram Good Governance Buildings, and the first installment will be distributed. Besides, a stamp and coin will also be released in memory of Vajpayee.
PM Modi will arrive in Khajuraho at 12:10 pm. The events will also be attended by Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, and Union Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil.
Ken-Betwa River Linking National Project
With the foundation stone of this project being laid by PM Modi, the late Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream of river linking will take concrete shape in Madhya Pradesh. The Ken-Betwa Project is the largest irrigation project in the country to adopt an underground pressurised pipe irrigation system.
This project will provide irrigation facilities to 8.11 lakh hectares of land across 10 districts in Madhya Pradesh: Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha, and Sagar, while benefiting 44 lakh farmer families.
The increase in crop production and farmers’ income will boost the rural economy, and the construction of hydroelectric projects will create new employment opportunities, contributing 103 MW of green energy. Better water management and adequate water supply to industrial units will foster industrial development and promote employment.
This project will provide 59,000 hectares of annual irrigation facilities in Uttar Pradesh and stabilise irrigation in 1.92 lakh hectares, benefiting the districts of Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur, and Banda. The project will also provide drinking water to 44 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh people in Uttar Pradesh.
Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project
The PM will inaugurate the floating solar project established in Omkareshwar, located in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The first phase of the project began generating electricity at full capacity in October this year. For the second phase, with a capacity of 240 MW, an agreement is proposed to be signed with the selected developer, ‘Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited’, after getting necessary permission from MPPAAC. The dedication of the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project, built on the Narmada River, to the people of the state, reflects the government’s continuous efforts towards energy self-sufficiency and green energy.
Atal Gram Good Governance Buildings
PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for 1,153 Atal Gram Good Governance Buildings in Madhya Pradesh and distribute the first installment. Out of the state’s 23,000 gram panchayats, 2,500 panchayats have been identified for new buildings due to the lack of buildings, dilapidated or non-functional structures. In the initial phase, works worth Rs 437.62 crore have been approved for 1,153 new panchayat buildings. Former PM Vajpayee believed that panchayat buildings are the most essential and vital infrastructure for gram panchayats. These buildings play a vital role in the practical functioning and responsibilities of the panchayats. The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to approve new panchayat buildings for all gram panchayats and cluster-level panchayat buildings to empower panchayats.
