Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district on Saturday, marking the freedom fighter’s 151st birth anniversary.
The tribute marked the beginning of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at Ekta Nagar.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate 23 projects worth Rs 307.83 crore and lay foundation stones for eight projects worth Rs 118.88 crore. The 31 projects carry a combined investment of Rs 426.71 crore.
The projects aim to improve tourism facilities and infrastructure around the Statue of Unity.
Major attractions include a Rs 50-crore IRCTC hotel and a Rs 16-crore Ekta Cruise. They feature a Rs 14.30-crore Rain Forest attraction and a Rs 3.67-crore Eco Trail.
The infrastructure package includes sewage and water treatment plants, travelators, a parade track, staff quarters and road improvements.
It covers CISF barracks, a terminal and jetty near Mokhadi village, water stations, fountains and Geocell landscaping near Gora Bridge. The projects will upgrade Shoolpaneshwar Narmada Ghat and the Statue of Unity campus.
The eight new projects include Gora-Bhanadra Road, Khalwani Bridge, an integrated Cactus and Butterfly Garden, a Smart Zero Waste initiative and Khalwani Eco-Tourism development.
They will widen Vaghadia Road and establish a disaster control room for the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Modi will visit the Rain Forest and Vaman Vriksha Vatika before attending the evening celebrations at around 5.30 PM.
The Ekta Parade will feature contingents from Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations. It will highlight security forces’ role in tackling Left-Wing Extremism and transforming affected areas.
A National School of Drama presentation on ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ will feature around 2,000 artistes from 126 affected districts. Cultural performances and tableaux will showcase the theme ‘Vande Mataram’.
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