Patna/New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) Prime Minister NarendraModi will visit Bihar tomorrow to attend the centenarycelebrations of the Patna University and launch severaldevelopment projects worth over Rs 3,700 crore.
This will be the prime minister's first full-fledgedofficial tour to the state since the BJP became a part of theruling coalition in Bihar in July this year.
In August, Modi along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumarhad made an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts of Bihar.
After attending the Patna University function, the primeminister will fly by a helicopter to Mokama, which is in Patnadistrict about 100 km from the capital city.
Modi will launch a number of development projects there.
The state BJP president has been hinting that a bonanzawas on the cards, terming the prime minister's visit as a"Diwali gift" to the people of Bihar in general and Mokama inparticular.
At Mokama, Modi will lay the foundation stone for four Rs3031 crore national highways projects and as many sewagetreatment plants (STPs) and related works worth Rs 738.04crore tomorrow, an official statement said.
Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who alsoholds the portfolio of water resources, will accompany theprime minister for the ceremony.
The four highway projects for which the foundation stonewill be laid, include the four-laning of Aunta-Simariyasection of NH-31 and the construction of six-lane Ganga Setuat a cost of Rs 1,161 crore.
The other projects were four laning of Bakhtiyapur-Mokamasection of NH-31 spending Rs 837 crore, two-lane constructionof Maheshkhunt-Saharsa-Purnea section of NH 107 at a cost ofRs 736 crore and two-lane construction of Bihar SharifBarbigha-Mokama section of NH-82 at the cost of Rs 297 crore.
The sewerage projects include development of STPs andrelated network at Beur and Saidpur. These will create acapacity of treating 120 million litres daily (MLD), thestatement said.
The project also includes upgradation of existing 20MLD-capacity system. Besides, sewer network of 234.84 km willalso be developed in the Beur and Saidpur zones, the statementsaid.
In Patna, seven other sewerage projects are already atvarious stages of implementation.
The existing population in the city is 16.83 lakh and theexisting sewage generated in the city is 220 MLD and sewageload is expected to be 320 MLD by the year 2035.
"Considering the existing treatment capacity of the cityand existing waste generation and (estimated) waste generationtill 2035, a total of 11 projects under World Bank funding aresanctioned for six zones which will create a total of 350 MLDof STP capacity and will lay down 1140.26 km of seweragenetwork at a cost of Rs 3582.41crore," the statement said.
After completion of these 11 projects, Patna will becomea town having 100 per cent sewerage infrastructure and nosewage water will drain into Ganga, it said.
The impoverished state has high hopes from the primeminister, who had announced a "package" of Rs 1.25 lakh crorein 2015.
Meanwhile, tight security arrangements were in place forthe prime minister's visit.
Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) saidseven Superintendents of Police and 12 deputy SPs had beendeployed to oversee the security arrangements and regulationof road traffic during nearly five-hour stay of the primeminister in the state.
"Four companies of the Bihar Military Police and aQuick Response Team comprising eight units of Special TaskForce and two of Anti-Terrorist Squad have also beendeployed," he said.
"Special arrangements have been made for Mokama where onecompany of CRPF and two units of STF will be assisting thelocal police in maintaining security," Singhal said.
Preparations were also in full swing at the PatnaUniversity for Saturday's function.
However, a minor controversy has erupted with actor-turned-politician and local BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha raisingthe issue of not being invited to the programme despite beinga Patna University alumnus.
Sinha has also questioned the rationale behind theexclusion of senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and RJD chiefLalu Prasad from the function despite being university alumni.
Patna University Vice Chancellor Rash Bihari PrasadSingh, however, sought to clear the air over the issue,claiming that the "printing of invitation cards got delayedand that's why cards have not been sent to them. But, they arevery much in our guest list". PTI ENM ANW NAC PR ASKASK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.