Maharashtra: PM Modi to inaugurate Mumbai's first underground metro, launch key development projects today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra on Saturday, during which he will launch several development initiatives costing over Rs 56,000 crore, officials said.

Modi will first visit Washim, where he will inaugurate the Banjara Virasat Museum, celebrating the rich heritage of the Banjara community, after offering prayers at the Jagdamba Mata temple in Poharadevi and paying homage to the 'samadhis' of Sant Sevalal Maharaj and Sant Ramrao Maharaj , indicates an official press release.

Later today, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs 32,800 crore in Thane.
In Mumbai, it will inaugurate the BKC to Aarey JVLR section of the Mumbai Metro Line – 3, costing around Rs 14,120 crore, and will also take a metro ride between BKC and Santacruz stations.

At noon, Modi will launch various initiatives related to agriculture and livestock sector worth around Rs 23,300 crore in Washim.

In line with his commitment to empower farmers, Modi, at the event in Washim, will disburse the 18th tranche of PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi worth around Rs 20,000 crore to around 9.4 crore farmers, he indicated. to farmers under PM-KISAN will be around Rs 3.45 lakh crore. It will also launch the 5th tranche of NaMo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana and disburse Rs 2,000 crore, he said. The Prime Minister will dedicate over 7,500 projects to the nation, costing Rs 1,920 crore, under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). Major projects include contract recruitment centers, primary processing units, warehouses, sorting and grading units, cold storage projects, post-harvest management projects, etc.

It will dedicate 9,200 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to the country with a combined turnover of around Rs 1,300 crore.

Additionally, the Prime Minister will launch the unified genomic chip for cattle and indigenous sex-sorted sperm technology. This initiative aims to increase the availability of sex-sorted semen at an affordable price for farmers and reduce the cost by around Rs 200 per dose.

The unified genomic chip, GAUCHIP for indigenous cattle and MAHISHCHIP for buffaloes have been developed along with genotyping services. Through genomic selection, high-quality young bulls can be identified at an early age, the release said.

Around 4 p.m., the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various development projects costing over Rs 32,800 crore in Thane.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail project which will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 12,200 crore. The total length of the project is 29 km with 20 overhead stations and 2 underground stations.

This ambitious infrastructure project is a key effort to meet the growing transportation needs of Thane, a major industrial and commercial hub of Maharashtra, the statement said.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the elevated extension of the Eastern Expressway from Chheda Nagar to Anand Nagar, Thane, worth around Rs 3,310 crore. The project will provide seamless connectivity from South Mumbai to Thane.

At 6 p.m., from BKC Metro station, it will launch a planned metro service between BKC and Aarey JVLR in the western part of the metropolis. It will also travel between BKC and Santacruz metro stations, the statement said.

Further away, PM Modi will dedicate five solar parks with a total capacity of 19 MW across Maharashtra under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0.

During the programme, he will also honor the beneficiaries of the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the statement added.

He will lay the foundation stone of phase 1 of the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project worth around Rs 2,550 crore. The project includes the construction of major arterial roads, bridges, viaducts, underpasses and integrated utility infrastructure.

Maharashtra is heading towards the assembly elections and the Election Commission is expected to announce its schedule soon.