CHANDIGARH, Jul 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of rail and road infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,470 crore during his Punjab visit on July 17, officials said on Thursday, adding that the scheduled event will take place in Jalandhar.
The projects are aimed at strengthening connectivity, improving passenger convenience and accelerating economic development in the region.
This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Jalandhar after he visited the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in February this year.
PM Modi’s visit assumes significance as the BJP is preparing to fight the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls on its own.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav visited the Jalandhar Cantonment railway station on Thursday to review security arrangements. The district administration has declared a ‘no flying zone’ in Jalandhar in view of the visit.
During his Friday visit, PM Modi will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme from the Jalandhar Cantonment railway station.
Developed at a cost of about Rs 1,570 crore, these stations have been transformed into modern, passenger-friendly facilities. Redeveloped in the spirit of ‘Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi’, the stations incorporate elements reflecting local culture, heritage and architecture.
Among them, the four redeveloped railway stations in Punjab are Jalandhar Cantonment, S A S Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib and Sri Anandpur Sahib.
Besides, Modi will also inaugurate the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli new rail line, constructed at a cost of about Rs 830 crore as part of the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project.
This project will significantly strengthen rail connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, benefiting the districts of Hoshiarpur and Una, officials said.
The new rail line will provide connectivity to important religious destinations such as Shri Anandpur Sahib and Maa Chintpurni Temple, while enhancing access to remote areas by providing passengers with a faster, safer and more reliable mode of transportation, they said.
Modi will also flag off the Kartoli-Ambala train service, which will improve connectivity across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
He will also flag off the Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train service, establishing a direct rail link between two of India’s most revered spiritual and cultural centres.
The PM will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of national highway projects worth over Rs 3,070 crore.
He will inaugurate the 30.9-km-long Package-6 of the four-lane greenfield Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. The section will facilitate easier and faster travel, particularly for heavy vehicles, while reducing fuel consumption and vehicle operating costs, officials said.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the development of the 25.2-km-long six-lane greenfield Southern Ludhiana Bypass.
The project will reduce travel distance and time between Ludhiana and Bathinda, while also improving connectivity to other major economic centres.
Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, who reviewed the arrangements for the event on Wednesday, said that PM Modi’s singular vision is to make India the world’s leading nation, with Punjab playing a vital role in that journey.
The modernisation of old railway stations across the state reflects this vision by transforming them into world-class transport hubs, Dhillon said.
Before visiting Jalandhar, PM Modi will visit Chandigarh, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects worth over Rs 4,700 crore, spanning healthcare, education and road infrastructure.
He will inaugurate the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, officials said.
Equipped with 300 beds and state-of-the-art medical facilities, the centre will strengthen maternal and child healthcare services and benefit thousands of families across the region, they said.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone of a 150-bed state-of-the-art Critical Care Block under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) at PGIMER, Chandigarh. (Agencies)
