Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand on Thursday and inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth about Rs 4,200 crore in Pithoragarh.
These projects will be in rural development, road, power, irrigation, drinking water, horticulture, education, healthcare, and disaster management, among others.
Early in the morning, the prime minister will reach Jollingkong in Pithoragarh district, where he will perform a pooja and darshan at Parvati Kund. He will also seek blessings from the holy Adi-Kailash at this place. The area is well known for its spiritual importance and natural beauty.
Modi will reach Gunji village, Pithoragarh district at around 9.30am, where he will interact with the local people, and visit an exhibition highlighting local art and products. He will also interact with personnel of the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and the Border Roads Organisation.
At around 12 noon, he will reach Jageshwar, Almora district, where he will perform pooja and darshan at Jageshwar Dham. Located at a height of about 6,200 feet, the Jageshwar Dham comprises about 224 stone temples.
After that, the prime minister will reach Pithoragarh at around 2.30pm and launch the projects. The projects include 76 rural roads and 25 bridges built in rural areas under PMGSY; 15 buildings of BDO offices in nine districts; upgradation of three roads built under central road fund viz the Kausani-Bageshwar road, the Dhari-Dauba-Giricheena road, and the Nagala-Kiccha road, among others.
There will be upgradation of two roads on National Highways viz Almora Petshal–Panuwanaula–Danya (NH 309B) and Tanakpur–Chalthi (NH 125); there are three projects related to drinking water viz 38 pumping drinking water schemes, 419 gravity-based water-supply schemes and three tubewell-based water-supply schemes and the Tharkot artificial lake in Pithoragarh.
The projects whose foundation stone will be laid include construction for a scheme to help increase production of flowers and vegetables and improving their quality; a scheme for cultivation of high-density intensive apple orchards; five projects for NH road upgradation; multiple steps for disaster preparedness and resilience in the state, viz construction of bridges, upgradation of State Emergency Operation Centre in Dehradun, steps for prevention of landslide in Balianala, Nainital, and improvement in other infrastructure related to fire, health, and forest.
Other projects will cover development of hostels and computer labs in 20 model degree colleges across state; 100-bed subdistrict hospital at Someshwar, Almora; 50-bed hospital block in Champawat; and an Astroturf hockey ground at the Haldwani Stadium, Nainital.
The projects include a velodrome stadium at Rudrapur; Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission Scheme for infrastructure development in temples, including Jageshwar Dham (Almora), Haat Kalika (Pithoragarh) and Naina Devi (Nainital) temples; projects for provisioning of drinking water in Haldwani; and construction of 33/11 KV substation work at Sitarganj, Udham Singh Nagar.