Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over 6,700 crore rupees from his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi today. The initiatives include the inauguration of three airports at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Ambikapur in Chhatisgarh, and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik).
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister emphasised that development projects pertaining to education, skill development, sports, healthcare, and tourism, among other sectors, have been presented to Varanasi today, which will not only improve the quality of life of the people but also create employment opportunities for the youth. Mr. Modi highlighted that the government has initiated a huge campaign for infrastructural development in the country in the last 10 years with objectives of improving services for the people and generating jobs for the youth through investments.
He said Kashi is a model city where development is taking place along with preservation of heritage. Emphasising that development of society occurs when its women and youth are empowered, the Prime Minister stressed that the government has given new strength to women. He mentioned schemes like Mudra Yojna, where crores of women have been facilitated loans to start their own businesses.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the event. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for presenting this Diwali gift of development to the people of Varanasi.
Among several projects, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated new terminal buildings at Rewa Airport in Madhya Pradesh, Maa Mahamaya Airport at Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh, and Sarsawa Airport at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, reinforcing his government’s commitment to improving connectivity. The combined passenger handling capacity of these airports will increase to more than 2.3 crore passengers annually. The designs of these airports are influenced and derived from the common elements of heritage structures in the region.
Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the airport runway and the construction of a new terminal building and allied works at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. He also laid the foundation stone of the New Civil Enclave at Agra Airport in Uttar Pradesh, Darbhanga Airport in Bihar, and Bagdogra Airport in West Bengal.
In line with his vision to provide top-quality infrastructure for sports, the Prime Minister inaugurated Phases 2 and 3 of the redevelopment of Varanasi Sports Complex under the Khelo India scheme and the Smart City Mission. The project aims to create a state-of-the-art sports complex featuring a National Centre of Excellence, players’ hostels, a sports science centre, practice fields for various sports, indoor shooting ranges, and combat sports arenas, among others. He also inaugurated 100-bed girls’ and boys’ hostels and a public pavilion at Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Sports Stadium, Lalpur.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated tourism development works in Buddhism-related areas in Sarnath. He also launched multiple other initiatives, like tourism development works at Banasur Temple and Gurudham Temple and beautification and redevelopment of parks.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the RJ Sankara Eye Hospital in Varanasi in the presence of Jagadaguru Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Tamil Nadu. The hospital has been established by Sankara Nethralaya, one of India’s leading eye care service providers, in collaboration with leading investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and the Sankara Eye Foundation of the United States.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Modi announced that the government will add 75 thousand more medical seats in the next five years to further strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the country. He emphasised the significant transformation in the country’s healthcare sector during the last ten years. Mr. Modi highlighted Kashi’s growing reputation as a major healthcare hub, not only in Poorvanchal but in the entire country.
The Prime Minister listed out various initiatives of the central government in healthcare, providing cheap and affordable treatment to people. He cited the establishment of over 5,500 Ayushman Arogya temples in Poorvanchal in the last ten years, which have made medicines more affordable, reducing average spending on drugs by 25 percent. He highlighted the success of Mission Indradhanush, which immunised millions of pregnant women and newborns, helping protect lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the new eye hospital will benefit both the elderly and children and urged the Shankaracharya and Sankara Trust to consider opening another centre in Bihar.
During the event, the Kanchi Shankarachary lauded Prime Minister Modi’s developmental efforts. He praised the NDA government in the Centre and said it is a role model for governance. He credited Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for the country’s rise and introduced a new acronym for NDA: “Narendra Damodardas ka Anushashan,” symbolising a governance model focused on the safety, convenience, and well-being of citizens.
Shankaracharya highlighted that India’s progress is driven by strong leadership, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, whom he described as a divine blessing. He also acknowledged the government’s efforts in cultural rejuvenation, pointing to the restoration work at Somnath and Kedarnath, alongside the country’s infrastructural development.
