PM Modi to lay foundation stone of Ken-Betwa river link project in Khajuraho on Wednesday

The project will benefit 10 districts, including Chhatarpur, Niwari, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha and Sagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Ken-Betwa river link project in Khajuraho on Wednesday. He will also dedicate the floating solar project of Omkareshwar and lay the foundation stone for 1,153 Atal Gram Sushashan Bhawan.

The PM will arrive at Khajuraho at 12.10 pm and will return to Delhi by 2.20 pm. He will also issue a stamp and a coin in memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil will also be present in the programme.

The Ken-Betwa river link project will benefit 10 districts, including Chhatarpur, Niwari, Damoh, Shivpuri, Datia, Raisen, Vidisha and Sagar. It will provide irrigation facilities to 11,000 hectares of land and benefit 44 lakh farmers. The irrigation facility will increase farmers’ income.

Moreover, with the construction of hydel projects, 103 MW energy will be created. The river linking project will also provide irrigation facilities to 59,000 hectare land in Uttar Pradesh, including Mahoba, Jhansi, Lalitpur and Banda districts. Drinking water facility will be provided to 44 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh in Uttar Pradesh.

The floating solar project of Omkareshwar has a capacity of 600 MW. In the first phase of the project, electricity production commenced with full capacity from October.

In the second phase, for 240 MW capacity, necessary permission is to be taken from the MPPACA and a later agreement will be signed with developer Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited.

The Atal Gram Sushashan Bhawan will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,153 crore. It will provide administrative facilities to 1,153 panchayats in the state.

The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the construction of 100 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and will also interact with the beneficiaries.