Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received an enthusiastic welcome from the young crowd at the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ programme in Vadodara on Tuesday, as thousands of people gathered for an event marking the launch and dedication of major infrastructure projects in Gujarat.
PM Modi arrived in Vadodara as part of his visit to Gujarat and Maharashtra, with the Vadodara programme centred on development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to lay foundation stones, inaugurate and dedicate several rail, road, urban development and renewable energy projects to the nation.
A key highlight of the programme is the dedication of three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and developed at a cost of more than Rs 20,700 crore.
The sections are Sanand (North)-Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale, and New Saphale-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). The commissioning of these sections marks the completion of the WDFC across its entire length.
The corridor will provide direct freight connectivity to JNPA, facilitating the movement of export-import cargo between industrial centres and the port while helping reduce transit time and logistics costs and easing congestion on Mumbai’s railway network.
PM Modi will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon, and New JNPT, Mumbai.
A new passenger train service between Vadodara and Tanda Road will also be flagged off, benefiting people in Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, and Alirajpur districts.
The Prime Minister will dedicate the Jobat-Tanda Road new railway line, developed as part of the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project, connecting remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national rail network.
Three railway projects spanning 329 km and costing more than Rs 9,700 crore will also have their foundation stones laid.
These include the third and fourth lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, gauge conversion of the Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar section, and doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi section.
On the road network, foundation stones will be laid for three National Highway projects costing around Rs 1,780 crore.
The projects include six-laning of the Kamrej-Chalthan section of NH-48, additional structures including major bridges over the Tapi and Narmada on the Vadodara-Surat section of NH-48, and grade-separated structures at Abhava, Mindhola, and Khajod junctions on NH-53.
Six-lane flyovers at Kandari Chokdi and Luvara Patia will also be inaugurated. Projects of the state government worth around Rs 2,600 crore are also part of the programme, including Phase II of the Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road, a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam, and a new Vadodara Municipal Corporation office.
Housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and a water-supply project covering 11 villages in eastern Vadodara are among the projects to be inaugurated.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, public participation for the Vadodara programme was opened through free registration on BookMyShow, with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation managing registrations through the private digital platform.
Organisers said all available seats were booked within an hour, while more than 42,000 additional applicants were placed on a waiting list.
The event is also using a digital entry system, with registered participants receiving M-Tickets carrying secure live QR codes for verification.
Registration, verification, entry, and seating are being managed digitally to facilitate crowd movement at the venue.
After Vadodara, PM Modi is scheduled to travel to Mumbai, where he will inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in the evening.
(IANS)
