PM Modi inaugurates power projects valued at Rs 90,000 crore in Rajasthan, MP, K’taka, Andhra and Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 1,22,100 crore in Rajasthan’s Banswara on the fourth day of Navratri.

He expressed his privilege to visit the sacred land of Maa Tripura Sundari and Maa Mahi, symbolising the strength and resilience of tribal communities. Paying homage to Maharana Pratap and Raja Bansia Bhil, the Prime Minister also recalled the inspiring leadership of Mahayogi Govind Guru Ji.

Prime Minister Modi announced several power projects worth more than Rs 90,000 crore across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, calling the launch a “new chapter in India’s energy sector”. In Rajasthan, he laid the foundations for solar, nuclear, and transmission projects, including the Mahi Banswara Atomic Power Project (worth Rs 42,000 crore), one of India’s largest nuclear plants. He also launched solar projects in Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Jalore, Sikar, and Bikaner, along with transmission corridors under the Renewable Energy Zone (worth Rs 13,180 crore).

The Prime Minister remarked that during Navratri, the nation worships the nine forms of Goddess Shakti, and today’s major event in Banswara is dedicated to ‘Urja Shakti’—energy generation. “A new chapter in India’s power sector is being written from the soil of Rajasthan,” he said, emphasising that the simultaneous initiation of such large-scale projects reflects India’s accelerating progress in the energy sector, with every region of the country actively contributing.

Highlighting Rajasthan’s role, he underscored that from solar to nuclear energy, India is scaling new heights in power generation capacity. “In today’s era of technology and industry, development runs on the power of electricity; electricity brings light, speed, progress, connectivity, and global access,” the Prime Minister said, while criticising previous governments for neglecting the importance of electricity.

Prime Minister Modi recalled that when his government came to power in 2014, 2.5 crore households lacked electricity connections, and even after 70 years of Independence, 18,000 villages had not seen a single electric pole. He said that major cities faced hours-long power cuts, and in villages, even four to five hours of electricity was considered significant. The absence of electricity hindered factory operations and the establishment of new industries, especially in states like Rajasthan.

He affirmed that in 2014, his government resolved to change this situation. Electricity was delivered to every village across the country, and 2.5 crore households received free electricity connections. “Wherever power lines reached, electricity followed—making lives easier and enabling the growth of new industries,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that for any nation to achieve rapid development in the 21st century, it must scale up electricity generation. He emphasised that the most successful countries will be those leading in clean energy. “Our government is transforming the clean energy mission into a people’s movement,” he highlighted, announcing the launch of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, under which rooftop solar panels are being installed across urban and rural areas. He also mentioned the PM-KUSUM scheme, which is facilitating the installation of solar pumps in agricultural fields to ensure affordable electricity for farmers.

“India is working at high speed to become a developed nation, with Rajasthan playing a significant role in this journey,” PM Modi said. He announced additional projects worth Rs 30,000 crore for the people of Rajasthan, aimed at improving access to water, electricity, and healthcare.

The Prime Minister flagged off three new trains, including a Vande Bharat service. He also highlighted the nationwide campaign to generate employment opportunities, under which 15,000 youth in Rajasthan received appointment letters for government jobs on Thursday.

Expressing satisfaction that their government in Rajasthan is working with full integrity toward the state’s development, he said the wounds inflicted by previous governments through misgovernance and exploitation are now being healed by the current BJP government. He alleged that under Opposition rule, Rajasthan had become a centre for paper leaks and corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission. He also claimed atrocities against women had peaked, with perpetrators being protected, and that crime and illegal liquor trade surged in regions like Banswara, Dungarpur, and Pratapgarh.

The Prime Minister said that once the people gave them a chance, law and order was strengthened and the pace of development accelerated. He pointed out that major projects are now being implemented, with a growing network of highways and expressways across Rajasthan.

He affirmed that the BJP government is propelling Rajasthan, especially south Rajasthan, onto a fast track of development. He noted that it was the BJP government, under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, that prioritised tribal welfare by establishing a separate Ministry for Tribal Affairs for the first time. During Congress rule, he remarked, it was unimaginable for such large-scale projects to reach tribal regions.

Mentioning that it is through BJP’s efforts that the daughter of a poor tribal family, Droupadi Murmu, has become the President of India, PM Modi said that she herself raised the issue of the most marginalised tribal communities, which inspired the launch of the PM Janman Yojana. “Under this initiative, special priority is being given to the most deprived segments within tribal society,” he said.

He further noted that through the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, tribal villages are being modernised, benefiting more than five crore tribal citizens. He added that hundreds of Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being established across the country.

The Prime Minister affirmed that the BJP government has also recognised the rights of forest dwellers and Scheduled Tribes. “India’s tribal communities have been sustainably using forest resources for thousands of years,” he said, noting that the Union government launched the Van Dhan Yojana to ensure these resources become a means of progress for them. He highlighted that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for forest produce has been increased and tribal products have been linked to market access, leading to record growth in forest produce across the country.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the implementation of GST in 2017 liberated the country from a complex web of taxes and tolls. He noted that on the first day of Navratri this year, a major GST reform was introduced, leading to the celebration of a ‘GST Savings Festival’ across the country. He emphasised that household kitchen expenses have significantly reduced, bringing direct relief to mothers and sisters nationwide.

The Prime Minister reiterated the goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India), stressing that the mantra of ‘Swadeshi’ must not be forgotten. “What we sell should be swadeshi, and what we buy must also be swadeshi,” he said, adding that when people buy swadeshi products, the money stays within the country—supporting local artisans, workers, and traders, and contributing directly to national development.

He called on citizens to make Swadeshi a symbol of national pride and appealed for a pledge to buy only swadeshi goods during the festive season. He concluded by extending congratulations on the launch of development and employment-linked projects.

Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, and other dignitaries were present at the event.