News Brief
Arjun Brij
Apr 10, 2025, 01:05 PM | Updated 01:05 PM IST
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi on 11 April, where he will unveil and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 3884 crore.
After landing at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at 10 am, the Prime Minister will proceed directly to Mehdiganj Gram Panchayat for a public meeting.
BJP Kashi Zone President Dilip Patel was quoted as saying by ANI, “The Prime Minister of India and the famous Parliamentarian of Varanasi, the Honorable Prime Minister, is arriving in his Lok Sabha Constituency this time for the 50th time.”
PM Modi is expected to address a crowd of over 50,000, with attendees drawn from across the 33 BJP mandals of the district. His speech is anticipated at around 12.30 pm.
A key highlight of the Rs 3884 crore initiative is the construction of a six-lane tunnel on National Highway-31 under the Babatpur Airport expansion plan, valued at Rs 652.64 crore.
Of this, Rs 325 crore will be allocated solely to the tunnel.
Ten hectares of land have already been acquired, enabling the airport to support simultaneous take-offs and landings, increasing its daily capacity to 110 flights.
Patel elaborated, “The key project under the Rs 3884 crore initiative includes a major underpass tunnel on NH-31, worth about Rs 6500 crore. Other projects include the development of an airport area, a water mission, a government degree college, a polytechnic college, a hockey stadium, a police transit hostel, and barracks at Ram Nagar Police Line, along with road widening and a flyover in Maruwadi. The Prime Minister will provide blessings and solutions for these pressing issues during his visit.”
Among the civic upgrades, 11 parks including those in Ashok Nagar, Mahadev Nagar and Birdopur will be rejuvenated.
Thirty-five new public artworks symbolising Varanasi’s rich cultural heritage, such as Kathak dancers and Nandi statues, will be installed across major intersections.
PM Modi will also launch a Rs 12 crore transport city project in Mohansarai, featuring facilities like truck parking, warehousing, restaurants, and CCTV-equipped dormitories for drivers.
Additionally, a Rs 6.15 crore mini stadium in Shivpur will offer youth facilities for cricket, hockey, football, and yoga.
A major boost comes via Rs 345.12 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission for 130 rural drinking water schemes, along with over Rs 1000 crore for a 400 kV power substation and transmission lines.
Arjun Brij is an Editorial Associate at Swarajya. He tweets at @arjun_brij