Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi on Friday to address the One World TB Summit and inaugurate projects worth more than Rs. 1,780 crore.

The One World TB Summit is being organised on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Stop TB Partnership. Founded in 2001, the Stop TB Partnership is a United Nations-hosted organisation that amplifies the voices of the people, communities, and countries affected by TB.

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During the event, the prime minister will launch various initiatives, including the TB-Mukt Panchayat initiative; the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT); the Family-centric care model for TB and the release of India’s Annual TB Report 2023. He will also award select States/UTs and Districts for their progress toward ending TB.

In the last nine years, Modi has put a special focus on transforming the landscape of Varanasi and enhancing the ease of living for the people of Varanasi and adjoining areas. Taking another step in this direction, he will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of a series of projects during a programme at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University ground.

He will lay the foundation stone of the Passenger Ropeway from Varanasi Cantonment station to Godowlia. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 645 crore. The ropeway system will be 3.75 km in length with five stations. This will facilitate ease of movement for the tourists, pilgrims and residents of Varanasi.

The PM will lay the foundation stone of 55 MLD sewage treatment plants at Bhagwanpur under Namami Ganga Scheme, to be built at cost of more than Rs 300 crores. Under the ”Khelo India” scheme, the foundation stone of Phases 2 and 3 of the redevelopment work of Sigra Stadium will be laid by him.

He will also lay the foundation stone of the LPG bottling plant at Isarwar village, Sewapuri to be built by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. The PM will also lay the foundation stone of various other projects including a primary health centre in Bharthara village; a floating jetty with changing rooms, among others.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the PM will dedicate 19 drinking water schemes, which will benefit more than 3 lakh people in 63 Gram Panchayats. To further strengthen the rural drinking water system, he will also lay the foundation stone of 59 drinking water schemes under the Mission.

For farmers, exporters and traders in and around Varanasi, the grading, sorting, and processing of fruits and vegetables will be possible at an integrated pack house that has been constructed at Karkhiyaon. The PM will dedicate this project to the nation during the event. It will help in boosting agricultural exports of Varanasi and the surrounding region.

Modi will dedicate various projects under the Varanasi Smart City Mission including redevelopment work of Rajghat and Mahmoorganj government schools; beautification of internal city roads; redevelopment of 6 parks and ponds of the city among others.

He will also dedicate various other infrastructure projects including the ATC tower at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport; a 2 MW solar power plant at water works premises, Bhelupur; 800 KW solar power plant at Konia Pumping Station; a new Community Health Center at Sarnath; an infrastructure improvement of Industrial estate at Chandpur; rejuvenation of temples of Kedareshwar, Vishweshwar and Omkareshwar Khand Parikrama, among others.