Patna (Bihar) [India], June 20 : BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar on Friday, saying that the state's development remained a top priority for the Prime Minister.
Speaking to ANI, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The development of Bihar is in the PM's heart. Whenever he comes to Bihar, development projects worth thousands of crores become a reality here," underlining the central government's commitment to the state's progress.
He also reacted to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's recent remarks, calling them "petty" and urging him to focus on constructive activities like yoga.
"I do not want to comment on these petty matters. Let the elections come, we will give a lot of answers... I would request him that tomorrow is Yoga Day, come and do some Yoga, do some Pranayam, you will get a lot of peace," he added.
He also spoke at the train flagging-off ceremony, stating, "We are here to flag off the Vande Bharat train. The PM really adores the state of Bihar and is concerned about its development."
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will embark on a two-day visit, beginning with Bihar and Odisha today, followed by Andhra Pradesh on June 21.
The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects at Siwan, a major boost to infrastructure and socio-economic development in Bihar today.
Boosting railway infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line project worth over Rs 400 crore and flag off a new train service on this route. Additionally, in a major boost to connectivity in North Bihar, the Prime Minister will also flag off the Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah.
Furthering the vision of "Make in India - Make for the World," the Prime Minister will also flag off a state-of-the-art locomotive built at the Marhowra Plant, for export to the Republic of Guinea. This is the first export locomotive manufactured in this factory. They are equipped with high-horsepower engines, advanced AC propulsion systems, microprocessor-based control systems, ergonomic cab designs and incorporate technologies like regenerative braking.
In line with his commitment to conserving and rejuvenating the river Ganga, the Prime Minister will inaugurate six Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the Namami Gange project, worth over Rs 1,800 crore, to cater to the needs of people in the region.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for water supply, sanitation, and STPs worth over Rs 3000 crore in various towns across Bihar, aiming to provide clean and safe drinking water to the citizens of these towns.
In a major boost to power infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for a 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity in Bihar. Standalone BESSs are being installed at 15 grid substations of the state, including Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Bettiah, and Siwan, among others. The capacity of the battery to be installed in each sub-station is between 20 and 80 MWh. It will save the distribution companies from buying electricity at expensive rates by feeding the already stored electricity back to the grid, directly benefiting the consumers.
The Prime Minister will also release the first instalment to more than 53,600 beneficiaries of PMAY U in Bihar. He will also hand over keys to a few beneficiaries to mark the Grih Pravesh Ceremony of more than 6,600 completed houses of PMAY U.