PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced developmental projects worth Rs 6,700 crore here. He made the announcements from Sports Complex, Sigra, in his parliamentary constituency. Modi inaugurated RJ Sankara eye hospital being run by the Kanchi Math. The hospital will benefit people of 20 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh as well as those living in the border areas of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, according to people associated with the Kanchi Math. Among the projects, 16 development projects worth over Rs 3,200 crore are in Varanasi. The PM also laid the foundation stone for extension of runway, construction of a new terminal building and allied work to be done Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi at a cost of approximately Rs 2,870 crore. The RJ Sankara Eye Hospital is the 14th hospital to be run by the Kanchi Math in the country.

 

The PM met with the Shankaracharya of Kanchi before the inauguration. He also paid obeisance at the statue of the former Shankaracharya. Reciting the Sanskrit couplet “Tamaso ma jyotirgamay (lead me from darkness to light)”, Modi also said that he was feeling “blessed” to be back in Varanasi again. “For a long time, Kashi’s identity has been that of a centre of religion and spirituality but now, it is also set to emerge as a big centre of healthcare with various top-of-the-line health treatment facilities now available in Varanasi,” the Prime Minister said.