Modi begins Gujarat tour

Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in his poll-bound home state of Gujarat for a two-day visit less than a month after inaugurating the ambitious Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project.

He began the tour with prayers at the Dwarkadheesh Temple in the historic Dwarka town.

During his whirlwind tour, Modi is expected to address as many as six public meetings launching various schemes and projects at five places in three regions of the state.

Following his prayers at Dwarkadheesh, he would lay the foundation stone of a sea-link bridge between coastal town of Okha and Bet Dwarka Island.

Located about a couple of kilometres away from the temple, Bet Dwarka is frequented by thousands of pilgrims coming to this temple town of Lord Krishna.

At present, the pilgrims cross the sea in boats operated by private operators and Gujarat Maritime Board. The new bridge would connect both the pilgrim centres by road. Modi will also address a public meeting here.

Next on his itinerary is the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a Rs 2,500-crore Rajkot International Airport on the outskirts of biggest city in Saurashtra.

He would also address a public rally at the pilgrim town of Chotila in Surendranagar district just an hour's drive from Rajkot.

Less than a fortnight ago, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who toured the Saurashtra region for a three-day campaign, also began his visit with prayers at the Dwarkadheesh temple and subsequently paid salutations to the local deity in Chotila.

Modi would then inaugurate the new building of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) near Gandhinagar.

On Sunday, Modi will visit his birthtown Vadnagar in North Gujarat to inaugurate a Rs 500-crore civil hospital and a medical college.

Here, he will also dedicate the re-developed Sharmistha Lake to the people and inaugurate other public works, including the facelift of the Vadnagar railway station, where he once sold tea as a school boy.

The town has been decked up to welcome the son of the soil. Modi would pass by his school and also the old railway station where his father's tea stall was located.

Massive hoardings have been put up along the route, depicting his journey from Vadnagar to Varanasi. Some of them have a sketch of Modi as a school boy.

The hoardings also highlight several achievements of Modi's three-year rule at the Centre.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Rs 1,200-crore Devi Ni Mori International Buddhist complex near Shamlaji in Aravalli district, also in North Gujarat.

Later, the Prime Minister would lay foundation stone for Rs 3,000-crore Bhadbhut barrage project over river Narmada, as well as a Rs 650-crore Dahej-Ghogha Ro-Ro ferry service near Bharuch in South Gujarat before flying off to New Delhi from Vadodara.