PM's itinerary: Surat, Varanasi visits on Dec 17, 18 to inaugurate development projects

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Surat and Varanasi on December 17 and 18 to launch several development initiatives.

His office said Modi will inaugurate the new integrated terminal building at Surat airport and the Surat Diamond Bourse on Sunday before travelling to Varanasi to attend the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.

On Sunday evening, he will inaugurate the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 at the Namo ghat, the statement said.

The next day, he will inaugurate the Swarved Mahamandir at a public function and also participate in the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra'.

The prime minister is also scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,150 crore in his parliamentary constituency.

The PMO statement said the new integrated terminal building is equipped to handle 1,200 domestic passengers and 600 international passengers during peak hours and has provision for further increasing the peak hour capacity to 3,000 passengers with the annual handling capacity increasing to 55 lakh passengers.

As the gateway to the Surat city, the terminal building has been designed with its local culture and heritage ensuring that the essence should reflect both in the interior and exterior, creating a sense of place for the visitors.

The Surat Diamond Bourse will be the world's largest and modern centre for international diamond and jewellery business, the statement said.

It will be a global centre for trading of both rough and polished diamonds as well as jewellery.

It will comprise a state-of-the-art 'Customs Clearance House' for import and export, jewellery mall for retail jewellery business and facility of international banking and safe vaults.

In line with his vision of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat', Modi will inaugurate Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 at Namo Ghat and will also flag off the Kanyakumari '“ Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train, the statement said.

His office said the prime minister has put a special focus on transforming the landscape of Varanasi and enhancing the ease of living for the people living in Varanasi and adjoining regions in last nine years.

"Taking another step in this direction, the prime minister will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects costing around Rs 19,150 crore," it said.

Modi will inaugurate the New Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar-New Bhaupur Dedicated Freight Corridor Project built at a cost of around Rs. 10,900 crore.

Other railway projects which will be inaugurated include Ballia-Ghazipur City rail line doubling project; Indara-Dohrighat rail line gauge conversion project.

He will flag off the second Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train, Dohrighat-Mau MEMU train and a pair of Long Haul goods trains at the newly inaugurated Dedicated Freight Corridor. He will also flag off the 10,000th locomotive made by Banaras Locomotive Works, it said. PTI