Gandhinagar, May 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his home state, Gujarat, on May 26 and 27, where he is scheduled to participate in key public programmes in Gandhinagar, Kutch, and Dahod districts.

One of the major highlights of the visit will be the inauguration of India’s first high-power locomotive engine manufactured in Dahod, a landmark project developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore.

Following a public rally on Mirzapar Road in Bhuj, PM Modi will also offer prayers at the revered Ashapura Mata Temple at ‘Mata no Madh’.

At the Dahod rail production unit, PM Modi will unveil the first 9,000 horsepower locomotive engine, setting the stage for India’s next leap in indigenous rail manufacturing. Over the next decade, the facility is expected to produce 1,200 such engines, with plans to export them globally under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Each locomotive will carry the label ‘Manufactured by Dahod’, symbolising the town’s emergence as a national hub for heavy rail engineering. These engines are capable of hauling up to 4,600 tonnes of cargo, and, for the first time in Indian rail history, are equipped with air-conditioning and toilet facilities for drivers.

The locomotives will also feature pre-installed collision avoidance systems, enhancing safety and efficiency.

Currently, four engines are in the final stages of production at the Dahod facility. Officials estimate that the Dahod manufacturing unit will directly and indirectly generate employment for over 10,000 people in the region.

The project is expected to significantly boost the local economy, creating opportunities in power supply, mechanical engineering, and infrastructure services. The plant was awarded to a multinational firm, which emerged as the lowest bidder in the PPP tendering process.

Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Gujarat and inaugurated key development projects.

During his visit, Home Minister Shah laid the foundation stones and inaugurated multiple schemes related to urban development, health, and security in cities like Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

–IANS

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