Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation of the country’s first ambitious and multipurpose Ken-Betwa National River Linking Project in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh on December 25 on the 100th anniversary of Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the country’s first Omkareshwar floating solar project and perform the bhoomi pujan of 1153 Atal Gram Sushasan buildings and distribute its first installment. Prime Minister Modi will also release a stamp and coin in memory of Vajpayee. This will be a big gift for Madhya Pradesh on the birth anniversary of Late Vajpayee, the visionary who gave the concept of river linking to the country. Prime Minister Modi will arrive in Khajuraho on Wednesday at 12:10 pm and leave to Delhi at 2:20 pm.
Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil will also be especially present in the programme.
The foundation laying of this project will give final shape to the dream of Late Vajpayee in Madhya Pradesh. The Ken-Betwa Link National Project is the largest irrigation project in the country adopting an underground pressurized piped irrigation system.
This project will provide irrigation facilities to 8 lakh 11 thousand hectare area in 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha, and Sagar. The projest will benefit 44 lakh farmer families. An increase in crop production and farmers’ income will strengthen the rural economy and construction of hydropower projects will generate new employment opportunities and 103 MW contribution in green energy as well. Better water management and adequate water supply to industrial units will lead to industrial development and will also boost employment.
The Ken-Betwa project will provide 59 thousand hectares of annual irrigation facility in Uttar Pradesh and the existing irrigation in 1.92 lakh hectare area will be stabilized. The irrigation facilities will be provided in Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Banda districts of Uttar Pradesh. The project will provide drinking water facility to 44 lakh population of Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh population of Uttar Pradesh.
Modi will dedicate the floating solar project established at Omkareshwar in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The first phase of the project has started Power generation at full capacity in October this year in . For the 240 MW capacity of the second phase, it is proposed to sign a contract with the selected developer "Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited" after necessary consent from MPPACA. Dedicating the Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project on the sacred river Maa Narmada to the people of the state reflects the government’s continuous efforts towards energy self-reliance and green energy of the state.
Modi will also distribute the first installment after performing Bhoomi pujan of 1153 Atal Gram Sushasan Bhawans in Madhya Pradesh. Out of 23 thousand Gram Panchayats of the state, 2500 Gram Panchayats without buildings, dilapidated buildings, and unusable buildings have been identified for approval of new buildings. In the initial phase, works worth Rs 437.62 crore have been approved for 1153 new Panchayat buildings.
Former Prime Minister Late Vajpayee believed that the Panchayat building is the most basic and important infrastructure of Gram Panchayat. These buildings have an important role in the practical implementation and execution of the work and responsibilities of the Gram Panchayats. To strengthen the Panchayats, the Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to approve new Panchayat buildings in all Gram Panchayats and Cluster Panchayat buildings at the cluster level.
