New Delhi: On his fifth visit to Gujarat since September this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 22 will inaugurate and lay foundation of several development projects worth Rs 1,140 crore of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Besides, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the capacity expansion project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)’s approximately 1,050-km Mundra-Delhi petroleum product pipeline (MDPL) from its existing 5.4 to 8.0 million metric tonne per annum (MMTPA) at a total cost of Rs 1,879 crore, of which Rs 1,769 crore will be invested in Gujarat. The PM will also launch Greenfield Marketing Terminal project in Vadodara’s Asoj-Pillol villages.
On Modi’s itinerary for Sunday is the mega event of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Earlier, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was slated to inaugurate VMC projects worth Rs 780 crore on October 15, but it was later decided that the PM will launch these projects, besides some other projects.
Among the projects of the VMC that Modi will now inaugurate are City Command and Control Centre in Badamdi Baug, recently-renovated Sardar Patel Planetarium inside Sayajibaug Garden and Tourist Information Centre near the railway station.
The big ticket projects for which he will lay foundation include the much-hyped integrated transport hub called Jan Mahal across the Vadodara railway station, under the aegis of Smart City, a Rs 225-crore 3.1-km flyover from Genda Circle to Manisha Junction and a Rs 165-crore water treatment plant at Sindhrot on Mahi river.
The PM will also lay foundation stones for the Regional Water Supply Schemes for Dabhoi and Sankheda-Bodeli stretch.
On the other hand, the HPCL project also includes laying of a new 235-km long underground Palanpur-Vadodara pipeline (PVPL) Extension Pipeline from the existing Palanpur Tap-off point (TOP) on MDPL to Vadodara and construction of a new state of art Marketing Terminal at Pillol in Vododara. The green field state of art Marketing Terminal will be located near Savli Industrial area.
HPCL in an email to The Indian Express sated: “The state government has fully facilitated and supported for speedy implementation of the project by forming a Taskforce Committee. Land acquisition of 144 Acres has been completed in a record time including possession in September 2017. Environmental Clearance (for the project) received in June 2017 and the project is expected to be completed by June 2020.”
HPCL stated that the project will provide “direct and indirect employment” to nearly 1,200 people during construction and to around 300 people during operations and maintenance. “It will facilitate uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to meet growing market demand in Gujarat, eastern Maharashtra and other parts of central India. Pipeline transportation is a safe and most environmental friendly mode of transportation. It will reduce transportation cost by over 25%. Approximately, 2% of the Project cost will be spent under Enterprise Social Commitment activities in the villages through which the pipeline will be passing,” an official said.
BJP leaders said PM’s visit to Vadodara will boost the party’s chances in central Gujarat, where Rahul Gandhi’s Navsarjan Yatra saw businessmen, traders, farmers and skilled laborers complaining about the impact of demonetization and GST.
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