PM Modi to launch projects worth Rs 22,600 crore from Maharashtra

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off a Metro train in Pune on Thursday and also launch various development projects worth over Rs 22,600 crore.

An official statement said the inauguration of Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate will mark the completion of Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-1). The cost of the underground section between District Court to Swargate is around Rs 1,810 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone for Swargate-Katraj extension of Pune Metro Phase-1 to be developed at the cost of around Rs 2,950 crore. This southern extension of around 5.46 km is completely underground with three stations namely Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj, it said.

Among other projects, he will lay the foundation stone for the memorial for Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule’s first girl school at Bhidewada in commemoration of the noted social reformer.

In line with his commitment to make India self-reliant in the field of supercomputing technology, the statement said, Modi will dedicate to the nation three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers worth around Rs 130 crore, developed indigenously under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

These supercomputers have been deployed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata to facilitate pioneering scientific research. Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune will leverage the supercomputer to explore Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena. Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in Delhi will enhance research in fields like material science and atomic physics.

The S N Bose Centre in Kolkata will drive advanced research in areas such as physics, cosmology and earth sciences, it added.

During his visit to the poll-bound state, the prime minister will inaugurate a high-performance computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research. This project represents an investment of Rs 850 crore, marking a significant leap in India’s computational capabilities for meteorological applications.

Located at two key sites, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in Noida, this HPC system has extraordinary computing power. The new HPC systems are named ‘Arka’ and ‘Arunika,’ reflecting their connection to the Sun, it said.

Modi will launch various initiatives of petroleum and natural gas sector worth Rs 10,400 crore. These initiatives will focus on energy, infrastructure, safety and convenience of truck and cab drivers, cleaner mobility and a sustainable future.

To enable ease of driving, he will launch way side amenities for truck drivers at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, Songadh in Gujarat, and Belagavi and Bangalore Rural in Karnataka.

With the objective of developing modern facilities for the comfortable journey break at one place designed to cater to the needs of truckers and cab drivers during their long journeys, way side amenities such as affordable boarding and lodging facilities, clean toilets, safe parking space, cooking area, WiFi and Gym are being developed at a cost of around Rs 2,170 crore at 1,000 retail outlets.

Among numerous other projects, Modi will inaugurate Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program of the government of India, situated 20 kms south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.

The project developed under Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor holds immense potential as a vibrant economic hub in the Marathwada region. The Central government has approved this project with an overall project cost of over Rs 6,400 crore for development in three phases, it said.