PM Modi visits Varanasi for 50th time, launches projects worth Rs 3,880-crore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday visited his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for as many as 44 development projects collectively valued at Rs 3,880 crore. Notably, this will be Narendra Modi’s 50th visit to the holy city after becoming Prime Minister in 2014.
PM Modi landed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport and reached Mehdiganj to attend a public meeting where he was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath.
A public address is also scheduled for PM Modi, with the event to be held on the Ring Road, outside city limits, to ensure accessibility for rural attendees and to mitigate the effects of summer heat and traffic congestion.
A significant portion of the projects which were inaugurated by PM Modi will focus on rural development. These include 130 drinking water schemes, 100 new Anganwadi centres, 356 libraries, a polytechnic college in Pindra, and a government degree college.
In the law enforcement sector, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a transit hostel at the Police Lines and police barracks in Ramnagar, along with four rural roads.
Urban development will also see a major boost, with beautification projects at Shastri Ghat and Samne Ghat, and works undertaken by the Railways and the Varanasi Development Authority (VDA).
Among the projects with foundation stones being laid, 25 are worth Rs 2,250 crore, primarily targeting power infrastructure. These include the construction of 15 new substations, the installation of transformers, and 1,500 km of new power lines. A new 220 kV substation is planned near Chaukaghat to ensure uninterrupted 24-hour power supply.
PM Modi will also initiate work on three new flyovers and multiple road-widening projects in the city. Additionally, foundation stones will be laid for school renovation works and two new stadiums in Shivpur and at UP College. Airport-related infrastructure, such as tunnel-laying to facilitate expansion, is also part of the itinerary.
SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS
Security arrangements for PM Modi’s visit are extensive. Police Commissioner Mohit Agrawal and ADG Security Raghuveer Lal said that around 4,000 personnel from the police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and paramilitary forces will be deployed.
This includes six Superintendents of Police (SPs), eight Additional SPs, and 33 Circle Officers (COs). Rooftop deployment, drone and CCTV surveillance, and temporary parking zones near the venue have been planned.
Entry to the venue will be permitted only after thorough checking and frisking, including on VIP routes.
BJP City President Pradeep Agrahari shared that Modi will spend approximately two and a half hours in Varanasi. “Party workers will welcome the PM with blowing of conches, drums and showering flowers at many places. Hoarding and posters have been put up in the city to welcome him.”
