PM to unveil projects worth Rs 1.06 lakh crore, including refinery, Jodhpur Airport Terminal and Jaipur Metro Phase 2 (Ld)

Jaipur, July 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a landmark visit to Rajasthan on Saturday, where he will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation, and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 1.06 lakh crore spanning infrastructure, transport, energy, railways, aviation, urban mobility, and renewable energy.

The Prime Minister’s visit covers Jodhpur, Balotra, Jaipur, and the Bikaner region, with key highlights including the inauguration of the Pachpadra Refinery, the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport, the launch of the revised UDAN scheme, the foundation stone for Jaipur Metro Phase 2, railway projects, solar power initiatives, and the distribution of government job appointment letters to thousands of youth.

The projects are expected to significantly enhance connectivity, industrial growth, employment generation, and public infrastructure across Rajasthan.

PM Modi’s Minute-by-Minute Schedule is as following: 10:45 AM: Arrival at Jodhpur Airport by special aircraft. 11:00 AM: Inauguration of the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport and launch of the revised UDAN scheme. 11:20 AM: Departure by helicopter for Pachpadra, Balotra. 12:15 PM: Arrival at the HPCL Refinery control room; plantation of a sapling and inspection of the refinery complex. 12:45 PM: Arrival at the main public event venue. 12:52 PM: Screening of a short film on the theme Viksit Rajasthan. 1:15 PM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a massive public gathering. 1:45 PM: Departure from Balotra for Jodhpur. 2:40 PM: Arrival at Jodhpur Airport. 2:45 PM: Departure for Sanand, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the new terminal building at Jodhpur Airport, developed at a cost of Rs 480 crore. Spread across more than 23,000 square metres, the terminal can handle 2 million passengers annually. Inspired by Rajasthan’s royal architecture, the terminal features traditional arches and jharokhas while meeting 5-star GRIHA green building standards, making it energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.

The Prime Minister will also launch the revised UDAN scheme, backed by an allocation of Rs 28,840 crore, aimed at expanding regional air connectivity over the next decade. The scheme includes operationalising 100 new or underutilised airports and developing 200 helipads in remote areas.

The Prime Minister will dedicate the Pachpadra Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex in Balotra to the nation. Developed as a joint venture between HPCL and the Government of Rajasthan with an investment of over Rs 79,450 crore, the project has an annual refining capacity of 9 MMTPA.

Besides strengthening India’s energy security, the refinery is expected to catalyse the development of petrochemical and plastic industries in western Rajasthan while creating thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities. To strengthen urban transport in the state capital, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the ₹13,000-crore Jaipur Metro Phase 2 project.

The 41-km North-South corridor will connect Prahladpura to Todi Mod through 36 stations, covering major commercial and residential hubs including Sitapura Industrial Area, VKI Industrial Area, Jaipur Airport, Tonk Road, SMS Hospital and Vidyadhar Nagar.

The project is expected to reduce travel time and improve public transport for lakhs of commuters. The Prime Minister will dedicate railway doubling projects worth ₹900 crore, including Churu-Sadulpur (58 km) and Churu-Ratangarh (46 km). He will also inaugurate the four-laning of the Karwar-Dangiyawas section of the Jodhpur Ring Road, developed at a cost of ₹740 crore, to ease traffic congestion around Jodhpur.

As part of Rajasthan’s clean energy expansion, PM Modi will dedicate SJVN’s 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project worth ₹5,500 crore and NHPC’s 300 MW Karnisar Solar Power Plant.

Both projects use indigenous solar modules. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate power transmission projects worth Rs 1,900 crore and lay the foundation stone for a 530-km transmission network, strengthening evacuation of renewable power and enhancing the state’s electricity infrastructure.

–IANS

arc/rad