Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of various developmental projects worth over £10.6 bn at Dedicated Freight Corridor’s Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad.
He also flagged off ten new Vande Bharat trains between Ahmedabad-Mumbai Central, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, Mysuru- Dr. MGR Central (Chennai), Patna- Lucknow, New Jalpaiguri-Patna, Puri-Visakhapatnam, Lucknow - Dehradun, Kalaburagi – Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru, Ranchi-Varanasi, Khajuraho- Delhi (Nizamuddin). The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Ekta Malls in two states - Gujarat and Maharashtra - worth around £40 million.
He also inaugurated several other key projects, including newly electrified sections, track doubling/multi-tracking, and the development of railway infrastructure like goods sheds, workshops, and loco sheds.
He inaugurated India's first-ever automobile in-plant railway siding at Maruti Suzuki's Gujarat facility through a virtual conference. This initiative aims to enhance logistics, reduce carbon emissions, and alleviate road congestion by leveraging railway transport to diminish fossil fuel consumption and mitigate traffic congestion on roads.
Launches Gandhi Ashram Memorial master plan
During his visit to Sabarmati Ashram, he inaugurated the redeveloped Kochrab Ashram and launched the Master plan of Gandhi Ashram Memorial. He paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi's statue and visited Hriday Kunj.
PM Modi said that the Sabarmati Ashram has always been a vibrant centre of incomparable energy and we feel the inspiration of Bapu in ourselves. “Sabarmati Ashram has kept alive Bapu’s values of truth and non-violence, rashtra seva and seeing God's service in the service of the deprived”, he added. The Prime Minister recounted Gandhi Ji’s time in the Kochrab Ashram where Gandhiji stayed before shifting to Sabarmati. Redeveloped Kocharab Ashram was dedicated to the nation today. The Prime Minister paid tributes Mahatma Gandhi and congratulated the citizens for the significant and inspirational projects of today.
The masterplan entails constructing new buildings to accommodate administration facilities, visitor amenities such as an orientation centre, interactive workshops for activities like charkha spinning, handmade paper, cotton weaving, and leatherwork, along with public utilities. These buildings will host interactive exhibits and activities highlighting various facets of Gandhiji's life and the Ashram's legacy. Additionally, the plan includes establishing a library and archives building to preserve, protect, and promote Gandhiji's ideas.