PM Modi to unveil infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,700 crore in Bihar's Siwan ahead of assembly polls
PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various infrastructure and development projects worth Rs 5,700 crore in Bihar's Siwan district on Friday. This marks his second visit to the poll-bound state in under a month and his fifth since January this year.
Modi's visit is expected to further energise the political atmosphere in Bihar, where state assembly elections are scheduled for October-November. During his visit, he will also flag off a Vande Bharat Express train connecting Patliputra railway station in the state capital to Gorakhpur in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
Siwan, once regarded as the stronghold of late RJD MP and strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin, will witness several key unveilings during the Prime Minister's visit.
Notably, PM Modi will flag off the first locomotive manufactured for export to Guinea in West Africa, produced at the diesel locomotive factory in Marhowrah, Saran district. This marks a significant milestone, as it is the first time Indian Railways is exporting a locomotive, rather than sending aid under a line of credit as done previously with countries such as Bangladesh and Mozambique.

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