Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially launch and lay the cornerstone for a number of projects totalling more than Rs 38,000 crore that are intended to improve healthcare, urban mobility, and infrastructure during his visit to Mumbai on Thursday.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7, which are costing about Rs 12,600 crore, will be dedicated to the country by the Prime Minister. At a ceremony to be held on the MMRDA grounds at the Bandra Kurla Complex, he will also lay the cornerstones for seven sewage treatment facilities, a road concretisation project, and the renovation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its sights set on the financially robust Mumbai civic body in an effort to unseat the rival Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party during the yet-to-be-announced civic elections.
The 18.6 km-long Mumbai Metro Rail line 2A connects suburban Dahisar (East) with the 16.5 km-long DN Nagar (yellow line) while metro line 7 joins Andheri (East) with Dahisar (East). It’s interesting to note that PM Modi laid the cornerstones for these lines in 2015.
He will also introduce the National Common Mobility Card and the MUMBAI 1 Mobile App (Mumbai 1). The software will make travelling easier and can be displayed at Metro station entry gates. It accepts digital payments for UPI ticket purchases. The Card can be used on local trains and buses in addition to other forms of mass public transportation, including metro routes, according to a press statement.
The PM will open 20 “Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana” clinics to improve Mumbai’s healthcare system.
PM Modi will also lay the cornerstone for the renovation of three hospitals: the 152-bed maternity home in Oshiwara, the 306-bed hospital in Goregaon (West), and the 360-bed multispecialty municipal hospital in Bhandup. According to the statement, this will provide top-notch medical amenities to lakhs of local inhabitants.
The PM will also announce the start of a Rs 6,100 crore road concretisation project for the megacity’s 400 km of roadways. The seven sewage treatment facilities for which PM Modi will lay the cornerstone would cost about Rs 17,200 crore to construct. The installation of these plants would take place in the suburban areas of Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi, and Worli. Their aggregate capacity will be close to 2,460 MLD.
The renovation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai is another significant project. The statement stated that this project aims to decongest the southern heritage node of the terminus, increase facilities, improve multi-modal integration, and conserve and restore the renowned landmark edifice to its former splendour. More than Rs 1,800 crore would be spent on the refurbishment.
The transfer of authorised loans for over lakh participants of the PM SVANidhi Yojana will also be started by PM Modi.
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