Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 4,700 crore in Chandigarh and the projects mainly focus on healthcare, education and road infrastructure, aiming to improve public services and strengthen the city's overall development.
The event was attended by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, and Congress MP Manish Tewari, among other dignitaries.
One of the biggest announcements was the inauguration of two new healthcare facilities at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and the Prime Minister inaugurated the Advanced Mother and Child Centre, which has been built to provide specialised treatment for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborn babies and children requiring advanced medical care.
The centre has 300 beds and modern medical equipment and it is expected to improve maternal and child healthcare services and benefit thousands of families from Chandigarh as well as neighbouring states, as PGIMER receives patients from across North India.
Modi also inaugurated the Advanced Neurosciences Centre, which will bring different neurological services under one roof and the new centre will offer treatment in neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-critical care and advanced diagnostic services.
The facility is expected to help patients suffering from complex brain, spine and nervous system disorders by providing faster and specialised treatment and it will also support medical research, education and training in neurosciences.
In another major healthcare initiative, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of a 150-bed Critical Care Block at PGIMER under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
The upcoming facility is expected to strengthen emergency medical care, intensive care services and disaster response capabilities while further improving the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
The Prime Minister also announced projects aimed at improving educational infrastructure in Chandigarh and at Punjab Engineering College, he inaugurated the Kurukshetra Boys Hostel and Mess, providing better accommodation and dining facilities for students, he also inaugurated a new hostel block at Government College, Sector 46, which will improve residential facilities for students studying there.
In addition, Modi laid the foundation stone of a Research Scholars' Hostel at Punjab Engineering College. The new hostel is expected to provide better accommodation for research students and create a stronger academic environment.
Officials said these projects will improve student facilities, support higher education and encourage research activities in Chandigarh.
Apart from healthcare and education, the Prime Minister also launched major road infrastructure projects aimed at improving travel and regional connectivity, he inaugurated the six-lane Greenfield Highway from IT City to Kurali in Mohali district and the new highway is expected to reduce travel time between Mohali, Kharar and Kurali.
It will also improve road connectivity between Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, making travel faster and smoother for commuters and transport vehicles and the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the PR-7 Spur of the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway (NH-205A).
The proposed 10.3-kilometre Greenfield corridor will allow long-distance traffic to bypass the crowded urban areas of Zirakpur. It will directly connect the Zirakpur Bypass with Aerocity near Chandigarh, helping reduce congestion and improve traffic movement.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi described Chandigarh as "not just a city, but a development model for India." He said the Central Government has focused on strengthening the Union Territory through infrastructure development and better governance and the Prime Minister highlighted that the government had replaced the Indian Penal Code with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as part of wider judicial reforms.
He also spoke about several smart city initiatives introduced in Chandigarh over the past few years, including the Integrated Command and Control Centre, smart traffic management, smart parking and digital governance and according to Modi, these initiatives have helped transform Chandigarh into a technology-driven city, he said more than Rs 2,500 crore has already been spent under the Smart City Mission to improve urban infrastructure and public services.
