Surat: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will visit Surat on January 31, during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various Surat Municipal Corporation projects worth Rs 342.81 crore. The inauguration and foundation-laying ceremony will be held at the newly constructed Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Auditorium, located at Katargam TP Scheme No. 35, Final Plot No. 130.

Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Patil, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, Mayor Dakshesh Mawani, along with MPs, MLAs, office-bearers of various organisations, and other leaders, are expected to be present at the event.

The Katargam auditorium, spread over 11,721 square feet, has been included among the Surat Municipal Corporation’s ambitious projects for the year 2025–26. With a seating capacity of around 876, the auditorium is equipped with modern facilities, including a state-of-the-art sound system. Built at a cost of Rs 70.68 crore, it will be opened to the public by the Chief Minister.

Among other key projects, a 10 MW ground-mounted grid-connected solar power plant has been planned at Vithodar village in Deesa taluka of Banaskantha district. The project, worth Rs 55.56 crore, will also be inaugurated. In addition, the Hydraulic Department has proposed the construction of a 120-lakh-litre underground water tank in Zone 8, along with a booster house, toilet block, security cabin, an overhead tank, and the laying of a distribution network. DeshGujarat