Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, for the 51st time and inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 52 development projects worth approximately ₹2,200 crore. During the same event, he released the 20th instalment of the PM‑Kisan Samman Nidhi, transferring ₹20,500 crore directly to the bank accounts of 9.7 crore farmers, including around 2.21 lakh beneficiaries in Varanasi.
Infrastructure & Connectivity
Roads and Bridges
Completed projects include the four-lane widening of the Varanasi-Bhadohi road, the Chhitauni-Shool Tankeshwar route, and the Hardattpur railway overbridge, all designed to relieve congestion along Mohan Sarai-Adalpura corridor. Foundation stones were laid for widening key urban and rural corridors including Dalmandi, Lahartara-Kotwa, Gangapur, Babatpur, as well as overbridges at Level Crossing 22C and Khalispur Yard. The Dalmandi Road widening alone involves widening a 650‑metre stretch to 17.4 metres under a ₹215.88 crore project.
Power Infrastructure Upgrade
Through the Smart Distribution Project, the Prime Minister inaugurated undergrounding and modernizing electrical infrastructure processes throughout Varanasi with a value of ₹880 crore approx. The goals of upgrading the electrical infrastructure will include reliability, resilient urban infrastructure, and reductions in outages.
Heritage, Tourism & Urban Greens
The Prime Minister inaugurated redevelopment of eight riverfront kuccha ghats, along with beautification works at Rangildas Kutiya pond & ghat in Shivpur and restoration and purification of the sacred Durgakund. He also initiated restoration of Kardameshwar Mahadev Temple, development of Karkhiyaon, City Facility Centres in Sarnath, Rishi Mandvi, and Ramnagar, and the redevelopment of Munshi Premchand’s ancestral home as a museum-cum-cultural facility.
As part of urban greening measures, an urban Miyawaki forest at Kanchanpur was announced, along with beautification of Shaheed Udyan and 21 parks across Varanasi.
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Clean Water & Rural Drinking Provision
Projects were launched to purify and maintain the sacred kunds of Ramkund, Mandakini, and Shankuldhara, including installation of four floating puja platforms to aid religious observances. Simultaneously, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 47 rural drinking water schemes were inaugurated, aimed at providing safe potable water to villages in the Varanasi region.
Education & Community Development
The government inaugurated upgrades to 53 municipal school buildings, and laid foundation stones for a district library and renovations of government high schools in Jakhini and Lalpur. Additional civic infrastructure includes a new homoeopathic college and hospital, and an Animal Birth Control Centre with a Dog Care Centre for improved animal welfare services.
Healthcare Facilities & Sports Expansion
The Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Centre and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital also had advanced installations initiated, such as robotic surgery units and CT scanners, enhancing local health care capabilities. . In addition, the Prime Minister also dedicated a synthetic hockey turf at Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Sports Stadium, laid the foundation stone for a 300-seater multipurpose hall (to be constructed by the PPDA) at PAC Ramnagar and laid the foundation stone for Quick Response Team (QRT) barracks which will modernize the law enforcement environment.
PM‑Kisan Support for Farmers
In direct farmer support measures, the 20th instalment of the PM-Kisan scheme transferred ₹20,500 crore into the bank accounts of over 9.70 crore farmers nationwide, including approximately 2.21 lakh beneficiaries in the Varanasi region. Each eligible land-holding family received a total of ₹6,000 annually disbursed through three instalments.
Event Coordination & Management
The public ceremony held at Kalika Dham, Banauli (Sevapuri) was organized to accommodate around 50,000 attendees. Local authorities, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, directed multi-layered preparations such as sanitation, drinking water, crowd management, drone surveillance, controlled traffic flow, and strategically placed parking areas to facilitate smoother access.
Strategic Significance & Vision
This ₹2,200 crore package encompassed 15 inaugurated projects worth over ₹600 crore and 37 foundation stones for new works worth around ₹1,600 crore, collectively covering 52 distinct initiatives. Over the past decade, Varanasi has received sanctioned development support exceeding ₹51,000 crore, with over ₹34,000 crore already implemented and nearly ₹16,000 crore currently in progress.
Summing up the occasion, PM Modi emphasized building a “new Banaras for a new India” one rooted in cultural heritage yet modern in structure and welfare delivery. This integrated development agenda underscores his vision of sustainable urban transformation balanced with cultural identity and inclusive citizen empowerment.
Conclusion
Prime Minister Modi’s visit on 2 August 2025 was a pivotal moment on the city’s growth path. With developers investing in connectivity, power, heritage, water, health, education, and agriculture, this is a comprehensive investment programme that provides an integrated renaissance where tradition and modern infrastructure develop together for the benefit of all Varanasi citizens.
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