Vadodara: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will visit the city today to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for 99 development projects collectively valued at ₹957 crore.

Among these, work will commence on more than 40 road projects. Of these, 30 projects, whose work orders were issued in October but were delayed due to relocation of utility service lines and other preparatory activities, will now finally begin. In total, 41 road projects involving investments of ₹129.86 crore are set to be launched.

Water supply and sewage infrastructure account for the largest share of project investments. Seventeen water supply projects worth ₹255.6 crore will be launched, while three completed projects costing ₹4.92 crore will be inaugurated. The Chief Minister will also dedicate five drainage projects valued at ₹231.93 crore and lay the foundation stones for 12 additional drainage works costing ₹74.55 lakh.

In addition to VMC’s ₹921-crore project portfolio, the Roads and Buildings Department will begin work on the Vadodara Urban Haat and Exhibition Centre, to be developed at a cost of ₹35.63 crore.

Work on the Urban Haat, first announced in August 2023 by the then state industries minister and funded through the current year’s budget will also formally begin today. The facility will provide exhibition and sales space for artisans, along with an amphitheatre, dining and residential amenities, a food court for visitors, and open recreational areas. The project is coming up on the former Government Technical Institute premises at Dandia Bazaar Crossroads, which has already been demolished.

In preparation for the Chief Minister’s visit, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation undertook extensive cleaning and maintenance works along the scheduled route. Municipal teams worked through the Christmas holiday to clean road corridors and public spaces, repaint dividers, trim overgrown trees and shrubs, and remove obstructions such as parked trucks, debris, and garbage. DeshGujarat