Belagavi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday inaugurate and lay foundation stone for projects worth ₹2,252 crore, and hold a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) roadshow in Belagavi in poll-bound Karnataka, a state minister said.
Modi will also release the 13th instalment of about ₹16,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through direct benefits transfer to over 80 million beneficiaries. Eligible farmer families are provided a benefit of ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments of ₹2000 each under the central scheme.
“Around 5.11 lakh (511,000) farmers of Belagavi district will get the benefit from the scheme to the tune of ₹102 crore,” Belagavi district in-charge minister Govind Karjol told reporters. “In addition, the state (government) adds another ₹4,000 annually. So, each farmer gets a total of ₹10,000 a year.”
The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the public several completed projects during his fifth visit this year to Karnataka, where assembly elections are due for April-May.
On Monday, Modi will dedicate the Belagavi railway station building to the nation, redeveloped at an approximate cost of about ₹190 crore, and launch the Londa-Belagavi rail line doubling project worth ₹932 crore, Karjol said.
This apart, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation of a project under the Jal Jeevan Mission to the tune of ₹1,130 crore. “This project will provide potable water to 7 lakh (700,000) people,” the minister added.
Modi will also address a public gathering organised by the ruling BJP at Malini Nagar in Belagavi city. “We are expecting around 3 lakh (300,000) people from Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency (to attend the gathering),” said Karjol.
Meanwhile, the state’s home department has heightened the security with deployment of heavy police force across the city in the wake of PM’s visit. The department has pressed police personnel, home guards, the Karnataka special reserve police (KSRP) besides roping in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to provide security for the PM’s event.
“The police department has kept the helicopter landing places ready on the Beynon-Smith College of Physical Education ground on Club Road and on KSRP ground on APMC Road,” said Belagavi commissioner of police MB Boralingaiah. “The prime minister will arrive in a special plane at the Sambra airport and from there he will reach the KSRP Ground in a helicopter.”
The college ground has been reserved as standby, the senior officer said.
The PM’s roadshow will start at the KSRP Ground and travel till Malini City on the BS Yediyurappa Road, covering about 8km, in a special vehicle, officials familiar with the matter said.
“The SPG which inspected the route has given the go ahead to the show,” the commissioner said.
Traffic has been diverted at many places in view of the PM’s roadshow and necessary directives were issued by the district administration. The state road transport corporation has cancelled services on several routes as the BJP booked 300 buses to ferry its supporters and people from various parts of the state to attend the PM’s event.
The district administration has postponed first-year pre-university (PU) examinations scheduled on February 27 in all government, aided and unaided private colleges in Belagavi city and surrounding areas. The examinations will now be held on March 6, with the same timetable as on February 27, the deputy director of PU Education said in its order, adding that the “step is being taken to avoid inconvenience to students and teachers”.
However, the CBSE Class 10 examinations shall not be affected and will be held on time. Advisory has been issued to parents to send their wards to examination centres early, to avoid delays due to traffic disruptions in the wake of PM’s visit.
On Monday, Modi will also inaugurate the greenfield airport in Shivamogga, developed at a cost of ₹450 crore. The airport is set improve connectivity and accessibility to Shivamogga and other neighbouring areas of central Karnataka. The state government initially proposed to name the airport after former CM BS Yediyurappa but he denied the proposal of the government and suggested poet Kuvempu’s name to it. February 27, the day which the airport is scheduled to be launched, also happens to be the 80th birthday of Yediyurappa.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone for two railway projects— the Shivamogga-Shikaripura-Ranebennur new railway line and the Koteganguru railway coaching depot — besides other development projects.