Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand on October 21 during which he will perform ‘puja’ at Kedarnath and Badrinath temples besides laying the foundation stone of connectivity projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for two new ropeway projects connecting Gaurikund to Kedarnath and Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib, and road widening projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore to improve all-weather border road connectivity, as per the PMO statement.
At around 8:30 AM, Modi will perform ‘darshan’ and ‘puja’ at Kedarnath Temple and around 9 AM, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project, it said.
“He will visit the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal. At around 9:25 AM, Prime Minister will review the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath,” statement read.
Thereafter, Prime Minister Modi will reach Badrinath where, at around 11:30 AM, he will perform ‘darshan’ and ‘puja’ at Badrinath temple, it said.
“He will review the progress of development work of riverfront, followed by laying the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects at Mana village at 12:30 PM. Thereafter, at around 2 PM, he will review the progress of development work of arrival plaza and lakes,” the statement said.
Connectivity Projects To Be Inaugurated By PM Modi On Oct 21
The ropeway in Kedarnath will be approximately 9.7 kilometres long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, reducing the travel time between the two locations from six to seven hours to approximately 30 minutes.
Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib will be linked by the Hemkund ropeway. It will be approximately 12.4 kilometres long and will reduce travel time from more than a day to approximately 45 minutes. This ropeway will also link Ghangaria, which serves as the entrance to Valley of Flowers National Park.
The ropeways, which will be built at a cost of around Rs 2,430 crore, will be an environmentally friendly mode of transportation that will provide a safe, secure, and stable mode of transportation, according to the statement.
This major infrastructure development will boost religious tourism, which will boost economic development in the region and lead to the creation of numerous job opportunities, it said.
During the prime minister’s visit, the foundation stone for road widening projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore will also be laid, as per the statement.
The official statement stated that the two road widening projects, from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B), will be another step toward providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas.
Apart from improving connectivity, these projects will also be beneficial from a strategic standpoint, according to the statement.
Kedarnath and Badrinath are one of the most important Hindu shrines. The area is also known for one of the revered Sikh Pilgrim site – Hemkund Sahib. The connectivity projects being undertaken shows the prime minister’s commitment to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance, the statement said.