Gandhinagar: Prime Minister to visit Gujarat and Rajasthan on 12th March, 2024. At around 9:15 AM, Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of various developmental projects worth over Rs. 85,000 crore at Ahmedabad. Thereafter, at around 10 AM, Prime Minister will visit Sabarmati Ashram where he will inaugurate Kochrab Ashram and launch the Master plan of Gandhi Ashram Memorial. Thereafter, at around 1:45 PM, Prime Minister will witness ‘Bharat Shakti’ – a synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities in the form of a Tri-Services Live Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

PM in Ahmedabad

In a major boost to Railway infrastructure and connectivity, Prime Minister will visit DFC’s Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad to lay the foundation stone and dedicate a slew of railway projects worth over Rs. 85,000 crores.

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Railway Workshops, Loco Sheds, Pit lines/ Coaching Depots; Phaltan – Baramati New line; Electric Traction System upgradation work  and dedicate to the Nation two new sections of Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Khurja to Sahnewal (401 Rkm) section of Eastern DFC and New Makarpura to New Gholvad section (244 Rkm) of Western DFC; Western DFC’s Operation Control Center (OCC), Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister will also flag off ten new Vande Bharat trains between Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, Mysuru- Dr. MGR Central (Chennai),  Patna- Lucknow, New Jalpaiguri-Patna, Puri-Visakhapatnam, Lucknow – Dehradun, Kalaburagi – Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru, Ranchi-Varanasi, Khajuraho- Delhi (Nizamuddin).

Prime Minister will also flag off the extension of four Vande Bharat trains. Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat is being extended till Dwarka, Ajmer- Delhi Sarai Rohilla Vande Bharat is being extended till Chandigarh, Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat is being extended till Prayagraj and Thiruvananthapuram- Kasargod Vande Bharat is being extended till Mangaluru; and two new passenger trains between Asansol and Hatia & Tirupati and Kollam stations.

Prime Minister will also flag off freight trains on Dedicated Freight Corridor from various locations – New Khurja Jn., Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholvad, and New Makarpura.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at Railway Stations. These Jan Aushadi Kendras will offer affordable and quality generic medicines to the people.

Prime Minister will also dedicate 51  Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals to the Nation. These terminals will promote seamless movement of goods between different modes of transportation.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation 1045 Rkm of Automatic Signaling in 80 sections. This upgrade will enhance safety and efficiency of train operations. Prime Minister will also dedicate to the Nation Digital Controlling of Railway stations at 2646 stations. This will improve operational efficiency and safety of the trains.

Prime Minister will dedicate 35 Rail Coach Restaurants to the nation.  The Rail coach restaurant aims to cater to the needs of passengers and the public apart from generating non-fare revenue for railways.

Prime Minister will dedicate more than 1500 One Station One Product Stalls to the nation spread across the country. These stalls will promote local products and generate income for local artisans and businesses.

Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Solar Powered Stations/buildings at 975 locations. This initiative will contribute to India’s renewable energy goals and reduce the railways’ carbon footprint.

Various other projects like dedication of newly electrified sections, doubling/multi-tracking of tracks, developments of railways Goods sheds, Workshops, Loco Sheds, Pit lines/Coaching Depots, among others, will also be done by the Prime Minister during the programme. These projects are a testament to the Government’s dedication to building a modern and robust railway network. This investment will not only improve connectivity but also boost economic growth and create new employment opportunities.

PM in Sabarmati

Prime Minister will inaugurate the redeveloped Kochrab Ashram. It was the first Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915. It is still preserved as a memorial and tourist space by Gujarat Vidyapeeth.Prime Minister will also launch the Master Plan of the Gandhi Ashram Memorial.

It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to uphold and cherish the ideals which Mahatma Gandhi stood for and also develop avenues which showcase his ideals and bring him closer to the people. In yet another effort in this endeavour, the Gandhi Ashram Memorial Project will help revitalise Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings and philosophy for present and future generations. Under this Masterplan, the existing five-acre area of the Ashram will be expanded to 55 acres. 36 existing buildings shall undergo restoration, out of which, 20 buildings including ‘Hriday Kunj’, which served as Gandhi ‘s residence, will be conserved, 13 will undergo restoration, and 3 will be reproduced.

The masterplan includes new buildings to house administration facilities, visitor facilities like orientation centre, interactive workshops on charkha spinning, handmade paper, cotton weaving and leatherwork and public utilities. The buildings will house interactive exhibits and activities to showcase aspects of Gandhiji’s life as well as the legacy of the Ashram.

The Masterplan also envisages the creation of a library and archives building to preserve, protect and disseminate Gandhiji’s ideas. It will also create facilities for visiting scholars to use the Ashram’s library and archives. The project will also enable the creation of an interpretation centre that can guide visitors with different expectations and in multiple languages, making their experience culturally and intellectually more stimulating and enriching.

The Memorial will serve as an inspiration for future generations, fostering Gandhian thoughts and will enliven the essence of Gandhian values, through a process informed by principles of Trusteeship.