Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the country's fourth Vande Bharat Express train and launch a slew of developmental projects in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday.
In Una, PM Modi will flag off the inaugural run of the new Vande Bharat Express from Amb Andaura to New Delhi, dedicate the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIT) to the nation, and lay the foundation stone of a Bulk Drug Park.
In Chamba district, he will lay the foundation stones of two hydropower projects and launch the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III in Himachal Pradesh. He will also address two public meetings in Una and Chamba.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said this would be Modi's ninth visit to the state in the last five years.
Himachal Pradesh is going to polls later this year.
Modi tweeted, "I will be among the people of Himachal Pradesh tomorrow, 13th October. Looking forward to the programmes in Una and Chamba where many development works will be inaugurated which are aimed at further increasing the pace of progress in the state."
The Vande Bharat train to be flagged off by Modi is an advanced version compared to the earlier ones, being much lighter and capable of reaching higher speed in shorter duration, officials said.
The train will run six days a week except on Wednesdays. It accelerates to 100 km per hour in just 52 seconds. The introduction of the train will help boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel.
Modi will also dedicate IIIT Una to the nation, the foundation stone for which was laid by him in 2017. Currently, more than 530 students are pursuing studies in this institute.
The Bulk Drug Park in Una for which he will lay the foundation stone will be built at a cost of over ₹1,900 crore. The park will help reduce dependence on API imports.
It is expected to attract investment of around ₹10,000 crore and provide employment to more than 20,000 people. It will also give a fillip to economic activities in the region, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
After that Modi will lay the foundation stone of the 48 MW Chanju-III hydro-electric project and the 30 MW Deothal Chanju hydro-electric project which will generate over 270 million units of electricity annually. Himachal Pradesh is expected to get annual revenue of around ₹110 crore from these projects.
He will also launch Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-III in the state for upgrading of around 3,125 km of roads. More than ₹420 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre under this phase for the upgrade of 440 km of roads in 15 border and far-flung blocks of the state.