PM Modi to visit Punjab on Wednesday, inaugurate projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore

The Prime Minister's persistent efforts to increase connectivity across the country have resulted in several national highway construction initiatives being undertaken in Punjab.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ferozepur in Punjab on Wednesday to lay the groundwork for multiple development projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore. According to the Prime Minister's Office, these projects include the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, the four-laning of the Amritsar-Una stretch, a new Railway Line, and two new hospital facilities in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. The Prime Minister's persistent efforts to increase connectivity across the country have resulted in several national highway construction initiatives being undertaken in Punjab.

According to the PMO, the entire length of National Highways in the state has tripled from roughly 1700 kilometres in 2014 to more than 4100 kilometres in 2021. The foundation stone for two key road corridors will be placed in Punjab to continue these efforts. According to the statement, this will also contribute to the Prime Minister's objective of improving access to critical religious centres. The 669-kilometre-long Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway would cost around Rs 39,500 crore to construct. It would shorten travel time in half from Delhi to Amritsar and Delhi to Katra.

The Greenfield Expressway will connect Sultanpur Lodhi, Goindwal Sahib, Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran, Katra, and the famous Hindu shrine of Vaishno Devi. The expressway would also connect critical economic centres in the three states/UTs of Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, including Ambala and Mohali Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Kathua, and Samba.

The Amritsar-Una segment would build four-laned at the cost of about 1700 crore. According to the PMO, the 77-kilometre portion is part of the broader Amritsar-Bhota corridor, stretching Northern Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and connecting four key national roads. According to the PMO, it would improve communication between holy sites in Ghoman, Shri Hargobindpur, and Pulpukta Town (home to the famed Gurudwara Pulpukta Sahib).

The Prime Minister will also lay the groundwork for a new 27-kilometre-long Broad Gauge railway line between Mukerian and Talwara, which would cost more than Rs.410 crore to build.
It will give an all-weather transit option in the area. This project is also strategically significant since it would provide an alternate route to Jammu & Kashmir, connecting to the current Jalandhar-Jammu Railway line at Mukerian. It will enhance tourism in the region by making it easier to get to hill stations and religious sites. The foundation stone for new medical infrastructure in three Punjab towns will be placed, as part of the Prime Minister's effort to deliver world-class medical facilities in all sections of the country.