VARANASI: PM Modi inaugurated infrastructure projects worth over Rs 2,412 crore, including two major national highways and an inland waterways project.
The total length of the two highways is 34 kilometre and they have been constructed at a cost of over 1,500 crore rupees.
The projects inaugurated also included a multi-modal terminal on the Ganga near Ralhupur village as part of the Centre’s Jal Marg Vikas Project.
In his constituency Varanasi, PM Modi said, Today, Varanasi and the country are witness to the development work that should have been decades ago.
Country wants politics of development. Voters make decisions keeping development in sight and not on vote bank politics said Modi.
Modi received India’s first container vessel that sailed from Kolkata on inland waterways on 30 October, carrying cargo belonging to PEPSICO (India).This is the first time that a container vessel travelled on inland waterways on the Ganga.
National Waterway-1 is an inland water transport route between Haldia in West Bengal to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.The project aims to develop the stretch of the river Ganga between Varanasi and Haldia for the navigation of large vessels.
The Haldia-Varanasi stretch of the National Waterway-1 has been developed with technical assistance and investment support from the World Bank.
The multi-modal terminal project and proposed freight village in Varanasi are expected to generate 500 direct employment and more than 2,000 indirect employment opportunities.
The Babatpur Airport highway will link Varanasi to the airport and go on to Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With a flyover at Harhua and an ROB at Tarna, the road will reduce the travel time from Varanasi to the airport.
