Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala and Tamil Nadu on March 11 to inaugurate, dedicate to the nation, lay foundation stones and flag off multiple development projects.
According to an official statement, the Prime Minister will first arrive in Ernakulam, Kerala, where at around 1.30 pm he will launch infrastructure and development projects worth about Rs 10,800 crore and address a public gathering.
A key highlight will be the foundation stone laying for a new polypropylene unit at the Kochi Refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. The project, with an investment of over Rs 5,500 crore, will have a capacity of 400 kilo tonnes per annum and is expected to strengthen domestic polymer manufacturing, reduce imports and generate employment.
He will also inaugurate two major highway projects under the National Highways network, including the six-laning of the Thalapady-Chengala stretch of NH-66, part of the Mumbai-Kanyakumari Economic Corridor, built at a cost of over Rs 2,650 crore.
Another project is the six-laning of the Kozhikode Bypass between Vengalam and Ramanattukara, developed at around Rs 2,140 crore. The upgraded corridor is expected to cut travel time from over an hour to around 15-20 minutes.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate 23 rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram and Changanassery.
He will also dedicate the Shoranur-Nilambur Road railway line electrification project and flag off a new train service between Palakkad and Pollachi.
In addition, the foundation stone will be laid for a 50-MW floating solar project at West Kallada in Kollam district.
Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will travel to Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu to launch development projects worth about Rs 5,650 crore.
Major initiatives include the foundation stone for a City Gas Distribution Network by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in The Nilgiris and Erode districts with an investment exceeding Rs 3,680 crore.
He will also dedicate to the nation a 672 thousand metric tonnes per annum lube blending plant of Indian Oil Corporation at Manali in Chennai, built at about Rs 1,490 crore.
Additionally, 89 rural roads covering 370 km will be inaugurated under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, along with the foundation stone for a greenfield bypass near Gangaikonda Cholapuram on NH-81. The Prime Minister will also flag off two Amrit Bharat Express trains, two express trains and one passenger train service.