Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation for 22 development projects worth ₹870 crore in Varanasi on Thursday.

The programme is said to strengthen the ongoing 360 degree transformation of Varanasi, the Prime Minister Office said in a press release.

Among the projects for which Modi will lay the foundation are Banas Dairy Sankul at UP State Industrial Development Authority Food Park, Karkhiyaon, built at ₹475 crore with a facility to process 5 lakh litre of milk per day, and biogas-based electricity generation plant for the Milk Producers Cooperative Union Plant, Ramnagar, said the release.

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He will also digitally transfer about ₹35 crore bonus to the bank accounts of over 1.7 lakh milk producers associated with Banas Dairy. Besides, Modi will launch a portal and logo dedicated to the Conformity Assessment Scheme of milk products, being developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) with help from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Urban development

Modi will also inaugurate multiple urban development projects, including six projects of redevelopment of Old Kashi wards, a parking and surface park at Beniabag, beautification of two ponds, and provisioning of surveillance cameras at 720 locations under Smart City Mission, the release added.

He will also lay the foundation of two 4-to-6-lane road-widening projects for Prayagraj and Bhadohi roads.

He will also inaugurate the Union Education Ministry’s Inter University Centre for teachers’ education, along with residential flats and staff quarters at BHU and ITI Karaundi.

Projects comprising doctors hostel, nurses hostel and shelter home amounting to ₹130 crore at Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre will be inaugurated, along with a 50-bed integrated Ayush Hospital at Bhadrak. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation of Government Homeopathic Medical College in Tehsil Pindra, built at ₹49 crore under the Ayush Mission.

To benefit the tourism sector, Modi will also inaugurate the phase 1 of tourism development project. Furthermore, he will inaugurate a Speed Breeding Facility at International Rice Research Institute, South Asia Regional Centre, Varanasi, a Regional Reference Standards Laboratory at Payakpur, and an Advocate building at Tehsil Pindra.

He will also virtually distribute rural residential rights record ‘Gharauni’ under the Swamitva Scheme to over 20 lakh residents of Uttar Pradesh, the PMO release added.