NEW DELHI: Ahead of the high-stake Uttar Pradesh elections next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited Varanasi, his constituency, to inaugurate various projects, including the International Cooperation and Convention Centre’s (VCC) ‘Rudraksh’.
The convention centre aims to offer a glimpse of the cultural richness of the ancient city of Kashi. The state-of-the-art centre will make Varanasi an attractive destination for conferences, thus drawing more tourists and businesspersons to the city.
As many as 108 Rudraksh have been installed at the convention centre and its roof is shaped like a Shiva Linga.
The entire building will glow with LED lights at night. It will be an environment-friendly building, fit for level 3 of Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), say officials.
Meanwhile, according to a press statement by the PMO, the Prime Minister will inaugurate various public projects and works, including a 100 bed MCH wing in BHU, multi-level parking at Godauliya, Ro-Ro Vessels for tourism development on the Ganga and three-lane flyover bridge on the Varanasi-Ghazipur Highway. Projects worth around Rs 744 crore will be inaugurated. He will also lay the foundation stones of several projects and public works worth around Rs 839 crore.
These include the Centre for Skill and Technical Support of Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET), 143 rural projects under Jal Jeevan Mission and mango and vegetable integrated pack house in Karkhiyanv.
He will inspect the Maternal and Child Health Wing, BHU, and also meet with officials and medical professionals to review Covid preparedness.
Speaking on occasion, CM Yogi Adityanath said that Kashi was always high on priority of the PM. Modi is giving projects worth Rs 1,500 crore to Varanasi, Adityanath said, adding that with his efforts Kashi has emerged high on the world map.