Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid foundation stones for three development projects in Kutch. These projects are - a 30,000 megawatt capacity hybrid renewable energy park along the Indo-Pak border at Khavda, a desalination plant at Mandvi and a milk processing and packaging unit at Anjar. The upcoming hybrid renewable energy park is expected to attract an investment of £15 billion and create employment opportunities for 100,000 people, the Prime Minister said. PM Modi, who was on a day-long visit of Gujarat, was speaking after virtually laying foundation stones for the projects from a function at Dhordo village.
The hybrid energy park, being touted as the biggest such facility in the world, will be capable of producing 30,000 megawatt, or 30 gigawatt, of electricity using both solar panels and wind farms installed at one place. Spread over 72,600 hectares of waste land, the first of its kind energy project is expected to play a major role in fulfilling India's vision of generating 450 gw (4,50,000 mw) of power by 2030.
Significantly, at a time when farmers protest against Centre’s new farm laws continued at Delhi’s Singhu border, the PM will meet a group of progressive farmers of Kutch including some native of Punjab who are engaged in agriculture activities at Kutch border. The PM reached Bhuj airport at around 12.35 pm and Dhordo helipad at around 1.15 pm. He laid the foundation stones of the projects through a function organised at tent city in presence of Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani. He has also reviewed the status of important projects being handled by the government. “The government was asked to prepare department-wise, project-wise and major scheme wise presentation to be made before the PM,” a source close to the development said. Chief secretary Anil Mukim had instructed all concerned departments to prepare status report of various activities and important projects including the centrally funded Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train and national highway projects being executed in the state. “A team of key secretaries of government of India have also been asked to be present during the PM visit. A presentation on Gujarat’s industrial development was made before the PM and senior officers. Both chief minister Vijay Rupani and deputy CM Nitin Patel were present during the presentation. .
