Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh on Thursday to lay the foundation stone of various development projects. He also held some public meetings in Bina, MP and Raigarh, Chattisgarh, which are also important for the BJP’s election campaign for poll bound states followed by the general elections of 2024. Around 11:15 am he reached Bina, where he unveiled the projects worth more than 50,700 crore rupees. After this, he left for Raigarh, where he was welcomed by the state deputy Chief Minister around 3:15 pm and dedicated an East Rail Corridor project which holds national importance in transferring resources. He also inaugurated nine critical care blocks in different districts of Chattisgarh. 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated East Rail Corridor Phase-1 of the country’s South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh, which was built at a cost of approximately â¹ 3,055 crore,” SECL Bilaspur said in an official statement. This 124 km long line between Kharsia and Dharamjaygarh will help transport coal and other raw materials to various end-use projects, including power generation projects at SECL’s coal mines and other coal mines in the Mand-Raigarh coal mine in Raigarh district. The annual capacity of the project is 62 million tons per year. In the future, with the development of passenger transport services, the residents of this tribal-dominated region will be able to connect with the mainstream of the country.

Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, highlighted the various efforts of the Ministry of Coal and Tribal Affairs for public welfare, and said, “The Ministry of Coal is also working on alternative uses of coal which includes gasification of coal. All coal companies were mandated to develop maximum opportunities for education, health, rural development, drinking water and employment in coal-producing areas under corporate social responsibility.”

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo welcomed the Prime Minister and said, “I am happy to have the opportunity to welcome Prime Minister Modi on the soil of Chhattisgarh. The inauguration by the Prime Minister will certainly give a boost to the development of the state of Chhattisgarh.” “Various development works are carried out through the centre, and in the future, we will continue cooperation in the fields of education, health care, etc,” he continued.