Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to his home state on Tuesday to unveil a colossal suite of development projects valued at over ₹20,000 crore, headlined by the inauguration of the Samrat Samprati Museum at Koba Tirth in Gandhinagar. Named after the grandson of Emperor Ashoka, a revered figure in Jain history for his dedication to non-violence, this museum now acts as a new cultural icon promoting spiritual and historical heritage associated with Jainism. Reflecting on this occasion, the Prime Minister expressed his hope through social media, wishing that the teachings of Bhagwan Mahavir would give "strength and hope to humanity."
The visit, which saw the Prime Minister travel to Vav-Tharad, was marked by a heavy emphasis on transforming Gujarat's transport and energy infrastructure. A centrepiece of the day was the inauguration of the ₹5,100 crore Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, a high-speed, access-controlled corridor designed to anchor the region’s industrial growth. Significant work also began on the NH-754K section near Dholavira and the Idar Badoli bypass. Closer to the state capital, new flyovers at the Bhaijipura and PDPU junctions are expected to provide much-needed relief for the 140,000 vehicles that navigate the Gandhinagar-Koba-Airport road every day.
The energy sector has been given a major boost through the dedication of the Khavda Pooling Station-2, along with its transmission networks. Constructed at a cost of about ₹3,650 crore, this is a significant installation for the evacuation of 4.5 GW of renewable energy, thus further strengthening Gujarat’s place in the green energy shift in India. The railway network saw similar attention, with the Prime Minister flagging off a new service between Khedbrahma and Asarwa following the completion of a major gauge conversion project, alongside the doubling of the Kanalus-Jamnagar line to improve freight and passenger movement.
Beyond heavy industry, the Prime Minister’s itinerary covered a broad spectrum of social and civic improvements. This included more than 40 urban development projects and the opening of an 858-bed ‘Rain Basera’ (night shelter) at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital to assist patients' families. In the tourism sector, new light and sound spectacles were unveiled at the UNESCO World Heritage site Rani ki Vav and Sharmishtha Lake in Vadnagar. With the dedication of two major water pipelines in Banaskantha and Patan, and a ₹1,000 crore expansion of the Sabarmati Riverfront into Gandhinagar, the day’s announcements represented one of the most comprehensive infrastructure pushes the state has seen in recent years.
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