Bilaspur, March 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched several major development projects in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur, worth over Rs 33,700 crore, spanning sectors such as power, oil and gas, rail, road, education and housing.

PM Modi also distributed keys to beneficiaries under the PM Awas Yojana.

The Prime Minister also flagged off the MEMU train service on the Abhanpur-Raipur rail section and dedicated the complete electrification of the Indian Railways network in the state.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of NTPC's Sipat Super Thermal Power Project Stage-III (1x800MW) in Bilaspur, worth over Rs 9,790 crore. He also dedicated three power transmission projects of POWERGRID under the Western Region Expansion Scheme (WRES) worth over Rs 560 crore.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL)'s City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Korea, Surajpur, Balrampur and Surguja districts. Besides, he laid the foundation stone of the Visakh-Raipur Pipeline (VRPL) project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), spanning 540 km and worth over Rs 2210 crore.

He also announced the upgrading of the Kondagaon-Narayanpur section of NH-130D (47.5 km) to two lanes with a paved shoulder.

The Prime Minister also dedicated two flagship educational initiatives: 130 PM SHRI schools across 29 districts in the state and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) at Raipur.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai felicitated PM Modi with a traditional shawl of the state and an idol of Maa Bilasa made of bell metal, after whom Bilaspur city is named.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Nagpur, where he paid tribute to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at the Smruti Mandir, the RSS headquarters, and held a road show. He also inaugurated the Loitering Munition Test Range at the Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited facility.

PM Modi's visit to Nagpur coincided with Varsha Pratipada, the birth anniversary of Hedgewar. He was accompanied by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. (ANI)

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