Ahead of Himachal polls, Modi opens, lays stone of development projects worth Rs 3,650 cr

Bilaspur, Oct 5 (IANS) Just days ahead of assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated development works and laid foundation stones of over Rs 3,650 crore spread across various sectors, comprising AIIMS Bilaspur, foundation stone of which was laid by him on October 3, 2017.

In the hilly state, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bilaspur at Kothipura will ensure a new era of quality healthcare services in the region.

Accompanying BJP President J.P. Nadda, who played a crucial role for setting up the premier health institution in his hometown, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, among others, Modi inaugurated the multiple development projects from the Luhnu ground in Bilaspur, some 130 km from the state capital, before addressing a mass public function.

AIIMS Bilaspur, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1,470 crore, is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 specialty and 17 super specialty departments, 18 modular operation theatres, 750 beds with 64 ICU beds.

Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24 hours emergency and dialysis facilities, modern diagnostic machines like ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI, etc., Amrit Pharmacy and Jan Aushadhi centres and also a 30-bed AYUSH block.

The hospital has also set up the Centre for Digital Health to provide health services in the tribal and inaccessible tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh.

Also, specialist health services will be provided by the hospital through health camps in the inaccessible tribal and high Himalayan regions like Kaza, Saluni, and Keylong.

The hospital will admit 100 students for MBBS course and 60 students for nursing courses every year.

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Nadda reached Bilaspur on October 2 to oversee the arrangements relating to Modi's visit to inaugurate AIIMS at Kothipura and later his address to set the stage to build momentum for the upcoming assembly polls.

An official statement said Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,650 crore.

The foundation stone of 31-km-long project for four laning of the National Highway from Pinjore to Nalagarh on NH-105 worth over Rs 1690 crore was also laid.

The project road is a major connecting link for the traffic from Ambala, Chandigarh, Panchkula and Solan and Shimla going towards Bilaspur, Mandi and Manali.

About 18-km stretch of the four-lane highway falls under Himachal Pradesh and the remaining portion falls in Haryana. This highway will ensure better transport facilities in Nalagarh-Baddi, the industrial hub of Himachal Pradesh, and will also give a fillip to further industrial development in the region. It will also boost tourism in the state.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Medical Device Park at Nalagarh, which will be built at a cost of about Rs 350 crore. The project will significantly provide employment opportunities.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Government Hydro Engineering College at Bandla in Bilaspur district. Costing Rs 140 crore, the college will help make available trained manpower for hydro power projects, in which Himachal Pradesh is one of the leading states.

It will help in upskilling the youth and providing ample job opportunities in the hydropower sector.

The BJP-ruled hill state is likely to go to the polls for its 68-member assembly in November.