PM Modi to lay foundation stones of several projects in Gujarat's Kutch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Kutch district on Tuesday at noon to lay the foundation stone of several development projects in the region close to the India-Pakistan border.

The prime minister will lay foundation stones for a desalination plant, a hybrid renewable energy park and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant.

According to officials, Modi will also be briefed on the progress of Smruti Van located in Bhuj, which has been under construction for nearly 17 years now. Spread over 470 acres, the first phase of the memorial in the name of 2001 earthquake victims is said to be completed soon. It was first floated in 2004 when Modi was Gujarat's chief minister.

A significant development project for which the prime minister will be laying foundation stone is the 30,000-megawatt hybrid renewable energy park, said to be the world’s largest, spread in nearly 1,00,000 hectares of wasteland near Khavda, close to the international border with Pakistan. Khavda is about an hour's drive from Bhuj city, which is close to Dhordo, the tent city known for the white desert festival in the winters or Rannotsav.

The desalination plant is being set up at Mandvi, an hour’s drive from Bhuj, which will have a capacity of 10 crore litres of water per day. A similar project is being established in Dahej, Dwarka, Ghogha and Gir Somnath.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone of a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at Sarhad Dairy Anjar, Kutch. The plant will cost Rs 121 crore and will have the capacity to process 2 lakh litres of milk per day.

PM Modi will also be visiting White Rann in Dhordo, where cultural programmes have been organised. Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also visited the region, where he held meetings with sarpanches of border villages.