At a programme held in Ernakulum, he laid the foundation stone for a Polypropylene Unit at the Kochi Refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) with an investment of Rs 5,500 crore and a capacity of 400 kilo tons per annum. The BPCL’s unit aims to strengthen India’s domestic polymer manufacturing capability, reduce import dependency, promote industrial growth and will generate employment opportunities in the region.
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Speaking about the inauguration of the polypropylene unit, he said, “To make India self-reliant, the expansion of the petroleum sector for Make in India is highly essential. The same goal lies behind today’s foundation stone laying of the Poly-Propylene Unit at Kochi Refinery.”
The prime minister inaugurated three redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, including the Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram, and Changanassery. He also flagged off a new train service between Palakkad and Pollachi, strengthening rail connectivity between Kerala and Tamil Nadu to assist daily commuters, pilgrims, traders and tourists travelling between the two states.
He also inaugurated two major highway projects, including the six-laning of Thalapady-Chengala section of NH-66, built at a cost of over Rs 2,650 crore, and six-laning of Kozhikode Bypass from Vengalam to Ramanattukara, constructed at a cost of around Rs 2,140 crore.
PM Modi unveiled 23 rural roads constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Kerala, aiming to improve connectivity in rural and remote areas and help ensure better access to markets, education, healthcare and employment opportunities, thereby strengthening rural livelihoods.
He dedicated the Shoranur-Nilambur road railway line electrification project to the nation, a project taken up to enable faster, more efficient and sustainable train operations by eliminating the need for locomotive changes at Shoranur.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of 50 MW floating solar project at West Kallada at the Kollam district. The government wants Kerala to move forward in solar power generation, he said.
“India is becoming a huge manufacturing hub today. The country is rapidly progressing in the AI and semiconductor sectors… For such things, we need more and more green and clean energy. India has become one of the top nations in the world in the solar power sector. We want Kerala to progress in Solar Power Generation. With this aim in mind, the foundation stone for a 50 MW floating solar project was laid at West Kallada today,” Modi said.
Road show in Kochi
Prior to the inauguration of the development projects, PM Modi held a road show in the port city of poll-bound Kerala. He is set to inaugurate the BJP-led NDA’s election convention.
The 300-metre-long road show was organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in the state. The huge crowd, holding BJP flags and wearing saffron-coloured caps, gathered on both sides of the road and welcomed him with strong chants of Modi.
The prime minister arrived at the Kochi international airport on Wednesday morning, from where he travelled by helicopter to the naval base.
