PM to lead grand tribute to Ahilyabai at women empowerment conference

Bhopal: PM Narendra Modi will attend the 'Mahila Sashaktikaran Mahasammelan' (women empowerment conference) in Bhopal on Saturday, commemorating the 300th birth anniversary of Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai.
The event, to be held at Jamboree Ground, will serve as a platform for a series of significant announcements and inaugurations.
Modi will virtually inaugurate the Indore Metro and the airports in Satna and Datia, marking a milestone in regional infrastructure development. Besides, the PM will perform virtual foundation stone laying for ghats construction work costing Rs 778 cr on the Shipra river. He will also transfer the first installment for 1,271 new 'Atal Gram Seva Sadans' (panchayat bhavans) costing Rs 483 cr.
The conference will be attended by Governor Mangubhai Patel, CM Mohan Yadav, and union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The ministry of culture is also coordinating the organisation of this conference.
In the women empowerment conference, Modi will release a postage stamp and coin dedicated to Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai. Besides, he will honour a woman artist in the field of tribal, folk and traditional arts with the National Devi Ahilyabai Award.
On this occasion, the PM will also visit the exhibition organised by the department of culture based on Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai's good governance, women empowerment and culture. Modi will virtually perform the bhoomi pujan for development works of the water resources department worth Rs 863.69 cr.
The projects include the construction of ghats along river Kshipra for Rs 778.91 cr and the construction of a barrage, stop dam, and vented causeway for Rs 84.78 cr.
These initiatives are part of extensive development efforts in Ujjain to ensure convenient and seamless bathing facilities for devotees during Simhastha 2028, in the clean and uninterrupted flow of the sacred Kshipra river. Water resources minister Tulsiram Silawat said for the convenience of devotees along the Kshipra river in Ujjain district, approximately 30 km of ghats will be constructed on both banks, from Shani Mandir to the Nagda bypass, at an estimated cost of Rs 778.91 cr.
The project is targeted for completion by Dec 2027. In addition, the water resources department will construct nine barrages on the Kshipra river — one each in Ujjain and Indore districts and seven in Dewas district.
The Ujjain Municipal Corporation will also undertake the repair of the Kaliadeh stop dam. Furthermore, 11 barrages will be built on the Kanh river — five in Ujjain district and six in the Indore district.
The total estimated cost for these works is Rs 84.78 cr.

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