Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], November 8 (HBTV): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for developmental projects worth over INR 14,260 crore in Chhattisgarh, covering key sectors such as roads, industry, healthcare, and energy.
Participating in the Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav, marking 25 years since the formation of the state, the Prime Minister inaugurated 12 new Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) blocks across nine districts. He also took part in the Griha Pravesh ceremony for 3.51 lakh completed houses and released INR 1,200 crore as instalments to 3 lakh beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), aimed at ensuring dignified housing for rural households.
PM Modi was felicitated with a state gamcha by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on the occasion of the state’s silver jubilee celebration.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the four-lane Greenfield Highway from Pathalgaon-Kunkuri to the Chhattisgarh–Jharkhand border, being developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at a cost of around INR 3,150 crore. This strategic corridor will connect key coal mines, industrial zones, and steel plants across Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur, Ranchi, and Jamshedpur, serving as a major trade and logistics route linking Central and Eastern India.
He also laid the foundation stone for the construction and upgradation of NH-130D (Narayanpur-Kasturmeta-Kutul-Nilangur-Maharashtra Border) and inaugurated the upgradation of NH-130C (Madangmuda-Deobhog-Odisha Border) into a two-lane highway with paved shoulders. These projects aim to improve connectivity in tribal and remote regions, boosting access to markets, education, and healthcare.
In the power sector, PM Modi inaugurated the Inter-Regional ER-WR Interconnection Project, enhancing power transfer capacity between the Eastern and Western grids by 1,600 MW. The project will strengthen grid reliability and ensure a stable supply across regions.
He also dedicated and laid foundations for multiple power projects worth over INR 3,750 crore. Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), works worth INR 1,860 crore were inaugurated, including feeder bifurcation, transformer installation, and network strengthening to improve rural and agricultural power supply.
Additionally, nine new power substations worth INR 480 crore were inaugurated across districts such as Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Bemetara, Gariyaband, and Bastar, benefitting around 15 lakh people. PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for new substations and transmission projects worth INR 1,415 crore in districts including Kanker and Balodabazar-Bhatapara.
In the petroleum and natural gas sector, the Prime Minister inaugurated HPCL’s Petroleum Oil Depot at Raipur, built at a cost of over INR 460 crore, with a storage capacity of 54,000 kilolitres for petrol, diesel, and ethanol. With a 10,000 KL ethanol storage facility, the depot supports the Ethanol Blending Programme, promoting cleaner energy and reducing fossil fuel dependence.
He also dedicated the 489 km Nagpur–Jharsuguda Natural Gas Pipeline, built at a cost of INR 1,950 crore. Connecting 11 districts of Chhattisgarh to the National Gas Grid, the pipeline will expand industrial development and affordable clean energy access in the region, supporting the ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’ vision.
To boost industrial growth, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stones for two Smart Industrial Areas — one at Siladehi-Gatwa-Birra in Janjgir-Champa district and another at Bijletala in Rajnandgaon district — as well as a Pharmaceutical Park at Sector-22, Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, dedicated to healthcare and drug manufacturing.
In the healthcare sector, PM Modi laid the foundation stones for five new Government Medical Colleges — at Manendragarh, Kabirdham, Janjgir-Champa, and Geedam (Dantewada) — along with a Government Ayurveda College and Hospital at Bilaspur. These projects aim to enhance medical education, strengthen healthcare access, and promote traditional medicine across the state.
(ANI)