PM Modi unveils Rs 5,400 cr development projects in West Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a slew of development projects worth Rs 5,400 crore in West Bengal, unveiling major initiatives across the oil and gas, power, rail and road sectors aimed at boosting infrastructure, connectivity and clean energy in the region.

Addressing a programme in the industrial town of Durgapur, Modi said the world today is discussing India’s resolve to become a developed nation, and the ongoing transformation of the country's infrastructure is a key pillar of that vision.

"Today, the entire world is discussing the resolve for a developed India. Behind this, there are changes visible in India, on which the edifice of a developed India is being built. A major aspect of these changes is India's infrastructure," the prime minister said.

Reiterating his government's vision of ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’, Modi said the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project was conceptualised to ensure equitable energy access and spur industrial growth across eastern India.

As part of the day's events, the PM laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (BPCL) Rs 1,950-crore City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia districts. The project aims to supply piped natural gas (PNG) to households and industries, compressed natural gas (CNG) at retail outlets, and generate employment in the region.

He also dedicated to the nation the Rs 1,190-crore Durgapur–Kolkata section (132 km) of the Durgapur–Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, laid under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) initiative. Passing through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia districts, the pipeline is expected to benefit lakhs of people with a steady and clean supply of natural gas.

Continuing the Centre’s thrust on clean energy, Modi dedicated Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems retrofitted at the Durgapur Steel and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Stations of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). Built at a combined cost of over Rs 1,457 crore, the systems aim to curb industrial emissions and improve air quality in the region.

In the rail sector, the Prime Minister inaugurated the doubling of the 36-km Purulia–Kotshila rail line, completed at a cost of over Rs 390 crore.