Banswara, India, September 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth more than 1.22 trillion rupees ($14.7 billion) in Rajasthan’s Banswara district, pledging faster progress in clean energy, infrastructure and welfare schemes for tribal communities.
Modi said the initiatives – including a 42,000-crore nuclear power plant, solar parks, transmission lines, new trains, roads, hospitals and water projects – underscored his government’s focus on reliable power, connectivity and jobs. “Our government is turning the clean energy mission into a people’s movement,” he told a rally, adding that India must lead in electricity generation to achieve rapid development.
The biggest investment announced was the Mahi Banswara Atomic Power Project, one of India’s largest nuclear facilities, comprising four indigenous 700 MW reactors. Modi also launched solar and transmission projects across Rajasthan and other states worth nearly 32,000 crore rupees, and inaugurated feeder-level solarisation under the PM-KUSUM scheme to benefit hundreds of thousands of farmers.
Infrastructure and welfare projects in Rajasthan included 20,800 crore rupees for water reservoirs and canals, nearly 6,000 crore rupees for drinking water supply, and 2,600 crore rupees for roads and bridges. Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains linking Rajasthan with Delhi and a new service to Chandigarh. A 250-bed hospital in Bharatpur, an IT centre in Jaipur and urban sewerage projects were among the schemes inaugurated.
In a push for jobs, more than 15,000 appointment letters were handed to young recruits for state and central government roles. Modi said employment generation remained a key priority as India aims to become a developed economy.
The prime minister framed the event as part of his government’s commitment to “Antyodaya,” or uplifting those at the bottom of the social ladder, particularly tribal groups. He cited new schemes such as the PM Janman Yojana and expansion of Eklavya schools and forest rights for tribal families.
Modi contrasted his government’s record with that of past administrations, accusing rivals of corruption, mismanagement and neglect of Rajasthan’s southern tribal belt. He also promoted recent GST reforms, saying they had lowered household costs on essentials, footwear, cement and two-wheelers.
Urging citizens to buy locally made goods during the festive season, Modi said, “What we sell should be swadeshi, and what we buy must also be swadeshi.”
Rajasthan votes later this year in state elections, and the western desert state is seen as a key battleground ahead of the 2029 national election.
