On October 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation for various development initiatives valued at Rs 27,000 crore in Chhattisgarh. These projects encompassed NMDC Steel’s impressive 3 MTPA integrated steel plant, worth Rs 23,800 crore, situated in Nagarnar, Bastar district. Additionally, the Prime Minister launched road and railway infrastructure projects and inaugurated the Taroki-Raipur DEMU train service, connecting Taroki to the national railway network.
PM Modi also initiated the upgrade of the Jagdalpur railway station, part of the Amrit Bharat Station initiative aimed at revamping over 1,300 railway stations nationwide.
In the Union Budget for the fiscal year ending March 2024, the government allocated Rs 10 lakh crore for capital expenditure, a significant boost to infrastructure development, representing a 33.3% increase compared to the previous year and equivalent to 3.3% of the country’s GDP.
Highlighting the significance of Chhattisgarh as a major steel-producing state, PM Modi stated, “Chhattisgarh is reaping the benefits of being a large steel-producing state.”
The Nagarnar Steel Plant (NSP), sprawling across 1,980 acres, is capable of producing top-quality steel, expected to elevate Bastar’s global standing in the steel industry and stimulate the region’s socioeconomic development.
PM Modi emphasised that this steel would bolster the armed forces and defence exports, while also invigorating the development of aspirational districts like Bastar, an initiative undertaken by the central government.
Moreover, he noted that the plant would generate employment opportunities for approximately 50,000 youth in Bastar and neighbouring areas.
PM Modi underlined the government’s continuous efforts over the past nine years to enhance self-reliance in steel production and highlighted the substantial increase in the state’s railway budget since 2014.
