RAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a day visit to Chhattisgarh on July 7.

In a major push to infrastructure development in the State, he will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for five National Highway projects, an official communication said.

The Prime Minister is on a visit to cover four states on July 7 and 8. He will visit Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh on July 7^th and on 8th to Telangana and Rajasthan.

The function will be held at 10.45 am Science College, Ground where he will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation various development projects. The five NH projects are worth Rs 6,400 crores.

The projects that will be dedicated include the 33 km long 4-laning of Raipur to Kodebod section on the Jabalpur-Jagdalpur National Highway. Besides boosting tourism, the section is integral for the movement of raw goods, finished products of Steel plants near Jagdalpur and provides connectivity to iron ore rich areas.

He will dedicate to the nation the 53 km long 4-lane Bilaspur-Patrapali stretch of Bilaspur to Ambikapur section of NH-130. It will help improve connectivity of Chhattisgarh with Uttar Pradesh and will boost movement of coal by providing connectivity to coal mines in adjoining areas.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for three National Highway projects for the Chhattisgarh Section of the 6-lane Greenfield Raipur - Visakhapatnam corridor. These include development of 43 km long six lane Jhanki-Sargi section on NH 130 CD; 57 km long six lane Sargi-Basanwahi section on NH 130 CD; and 25 km long six lane Basanwahi-Marangpuri section of NH-130 CD.  A key component is a 6-Lane tunnel of 2.8 Km length with 27 animal passes and 17 monkey canopies provided for unrestricted wildlife movement in Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary area.

These projects will provide better connectivity to rice mills in Dhamtari and bauxite rich areas in Kanker, and also benefit the handicrafts industry in Kondagaon. Overall, these projects will give a major thrust to socio-economic development of the region.

He will also dedicate to the nation the doubling of 103 km long Raipur-Khariar Road Rail Line which has been completed at a cost of Rs. 750 crores. It will ease transportation of coal, steel, fertilisers and other commodities from ports for industries in the State. He will also dedicate to the nation a 17 km long new railway line connecting Keoti - Antagarh. Developed at a cost of Rs. 290 crores, the new railway line will provide connectivity to Bhilai Steel Plant with Iron Ore Mines of Dalli Rajhara and Rowghat areas and will link remote areas of southern state passing through dense forests.

A bottling plant of the Indian Oil Corporation with a capacity of 60,000 metric ton per annum at Korba, constructed at a cost of over Rs 130 crores will also be dedicated. Further, the Prime Minister will also kickstart the distribution of 75 lakh cards to the beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat.