Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 on Sunday and will inaugurate the 8.45-km Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel that will connect Jammu with the Valley. He will also participate in the celebrations of the National Panchayati Raj Day and gram sabhas across the country.

During his maiden visit since 2019, which is being held amid tight security due to recent incidents, Modi will also lay the foundation stone and inaugurate projects worth over ‘20,000 crore.

In a statement, the Centre said Modi will participate in the celebrations of National Panchayati Raj Day soon after his arrival. He will virtually address all Gram Sabhas across the country. The PM will visit Palli Panchayat in Samba district. He will also transfer award money to Panchayats which are winners of awards given across different categories for their achievements.

The Modi government has been active since 2014 in strengthening the local bodies in J&K. It had held municipal elections which saw an impressive participation by the local leaders despite threats from terror groups.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the 8.45 km long Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel, built at a cost of over ‘3,100 crore. This tunnel will reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km and reduce travel time by around 90 minutes. It is a twin tube tunnel – one for each direction of travel – with the twin tubes being interconnected by a cross passage every 500 m for maintenance and emergency evacuation. The tunnel would help establish an all-weather connection between Jammu and Kashmir.

During the visit, Modi will also lay the foundation stone of three road packages of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, being built at a cost of over ‘7500 crore. They are for the construction of 4/6 lane access-controlled Delhi-Katra-Amritsar Expressway from: Balsua on NH-44 to Gurha Baildaran, Hiranagar; Gurha Baildaran, Hiranagar to Jakh, Vijaypur; and Jakh, Vijaypur to Kunjwani, Jammu with spur connectivity to Jammu Airport.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Ratle and Kwar Hydroelectric projects. The 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project will be constructed on Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of around ‘5,300 crore. The 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Project will also be built on Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of over ‘4500 crore. Both the projects will help meet the power requirements of the region.

Modi will also dedicate to the nation 100 Jan Aushadi Kendras, which sell generic medicines at affordable prices, that have been built in Jammu and Kashmir. These Kendras are located in the remote corners of the union territory.

The PM will also inaugurate a 500 KW solar power plant at Palli, which will make it the country’s first panchayat to become carbon neutral.

The Prime Minister will hand over SVAMITVA cards to beneficiaries under the scheme. He will visit the INTACH photo gallery which depicts the rural heritage of the region, and Nokia Smartpur, a rural entrepreneurship-based model designed to create ideal smart villages in India.

Modi will also launch a new initiative named Amrit Sarovar which is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will leave for Mumbai where he will be conferred the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award, instituted in memory of the legendary singer and will be given every year to one individual for exemplary contribution towards nation building.