PM to visit K'taka Sunday, will inaugurate, lay foundation of projects worth around Rs 16,000 cr
New Delhi, Mar 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka on Sunday during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of projects worth around Rs 16,000 crore, his office said Friday.
At around 12 noon Sunday, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate and lay the foundation stones of key road projects in Mandya. Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various development initiatives in Hubbali-Dharwad, a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said.
This will be Modi's sixth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year. Assembly elections in the state are due in April-May.
The rapid pace of development of infrastructure projects has been a testament to the vision of the prime minister to ensure world-class connectivity across the country, the statement said.
Moving ahead in this endeavour, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to the nation, it said.
The project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. The 118-km-long project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore.
It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, the statement said.
It will act as a catalyst for socio-economic development in the region, it said.
Earlier in the day, Modi tagged a tweet by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari who said the construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which encompasses a portion of NH-275, entails the development of four rail overbridges, nine significant bridges, 40 minor bridges, and 89 underpasses and overpasses.
"An important connectivity project which will contribute to Karnataka's growth trajectory," Modi said of the project.
Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Mysuru-Khushalnagar four-lane highway.
The 92-km-long road project will be developed at a cost of around Rs 4,130 crore, the statement said.
The project will play a key role in boosting connectivity of Kushalnagar with Bengaluru and will help halve the travel time from about 5 to only 2.5 hours, it said.
In Hubbali-Dharwad, the prime minister will dedicate IIT Dharwad to the nation.
The foundation stone of the institute was laid by Prime Minister Modi in February 2019.
Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crore, the institute currently offers four-year B.Tech. programmes, inter-disciplinary five-year BS-MS programmes, M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes.
Prime Minister Modi will also dedicate to the nation the longest railway platform in the world at Sri Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station.
The record has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records recently. The 1,507-metre-long platform has been built at a cost of about Rs 20 crore.
The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation the electrification of Hosapete-Hubballi-Tinaighat section of the railway network and the upgradation of Hosapete station for boosting connectivity in the region.
Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crore, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction.
The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments, the statement said.
Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city. The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 520 crore, it said.
These efforts will enhance the quality of life by creating hygienic, safe and functional public spaces and transform the town into a futuristic urban centre, it said.
Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre.
The hospital will be developed at a cost of about Rs 250 crore and will provide tertiary cardiac care to the people of the region.
In order to further augment water supply in the region, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme, which will be developed at a cost of over Rs 1,040 crore.
He will also lay the foundation stone of Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crore.
The project aims to mitigate damage caused by floods and involves construction of retaining walls and embankments, the statement said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
EC seeks BJP's response on Opposition charge of PM Modi violating model code
New Delhi (PTI): Taking cognisance for the first time of a model code violation allegation against a prime minister, the Election Commission on Thursday asked the BJP to respond to complaints filed by opposition parties wherein they have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delivering a divisive and defamatory speech in Rajasthan's Banswara.
At the same time, the poll panel also asked the Congress to respond to complaints filed by the BJP against the main opposition party's president Mallikarjun Kharge and its senior leader Rahul Gandhi regarding their respective remarks.
In its letter addressed to BJP President J P Nadda, the Election Commission asked him to respond by Monday to complaints filed by the Congress, CPI and CPI (ML) regarding the remarks made by Modi on April 21 in Banswara.
It also asked Nadda to bring to the notice of all star campaigners of the party to "set high standards of political discourse and observe provisions of model code of conduct in letter and spirit".
Officials said it is the first time that the panel has taken cognisance of a complaint against any prime minister. The Election Commission has invoked provisions of the Representation of the People Act to hold party presidents as the first step to rein in star campaigners.
It wrote a similarly-worded letter separately to the Congress president with regard to allegations levelled by the BJP against him and Gandhi.
The letters from the EC to the two-party presidents did not directly name either Modi, Gandhi or Kharge, but the representations received by it were attached to the respective letters and they contained details of allegations against the three leaders.
In its complaint to the EC, the Congress said that Modi in his speech had alleged that Congress wanted to redistribute the wealth of the people to Muslims and that the opposition party won't even spare the 'mangalsutra' of women.
The BJP, on the other hand, had written to EC that Gandhi levelled malafide and utterly sinister allegations against Modi during a speech in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
It also accused Kharge of violating the model code by claiming that he was not invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony due to discrimination against SCs and STs.
