From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, June 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Bengaluru on Monday, June 20 on a two-day State visit, participated in several programmes in the city inaugurating many key projects, laying foundation stones and dedicating many projects including 100% electrification of Konkan Rail Project at Kommaghatta, inuaugrating the Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal, green signal for Arsikere-Tumkur doubling rail line and new railway bridge, opening Yelahanka-Penukonda doubling rail line and other new train services.
The Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal in Bengaluru with airport-like facilities had been ready and awaiting inauguration for over a year, and the Karnataka government on June 6 had opened it for public use.
The first centrally air-conditioned train terminal in India was built at a cost of Rs 300 crore and has an area of 4200 sq. metres to cater for a daily footfall of 50,000. It has seven platforms, eight stabling lines and three pit lines to enable it to operate 50 trains daily. There are six ticket counters, one of which is dedicated to individuals with disabilities.
The station has spacious parking to accommodate 250 four-wheelers and 900 two-wheelers. The terminal also has specialised parking spaces for buses. The terminal also has a waiting hall, a VIP lounge and a digital real-time passenger information system, as well as a food court. It also has lifts, ramps and stairways connected to the subway, as well as a foot overbridge. It also has a centralised water harvesting system and a water recycling plant with a capacity of 4 lakh litres.
The new train services to Udupi, Madgaon, Rathnagiri, Yelahanka, Arisikere and Tumkur were given green signal through video link.
The key projects included laying the foundation stone for the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project and Railway line. He also dedicated the upgraded 150 Industrial Training Institutes in the State.
The Prime Minister was received at the Yelahanka Airport by State Govenor Thawaar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and other senior officials.
Union Minister for Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Prahllad Joshi, the former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Nalin Kumar Kateel, senior officers of the defence forces and the state government were also present on the occasion.
Modi inaugurated the Rs 280 crore Brain Mapping Research Centre and also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 425 core high tech hospital being established at the Indian Institute of Science besides the Bagchi-Parthasarathi Hospital.
The Prime Minister unveiled the bronze statue erected at the Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics at Jnanabharathi campus.