Gujarat gets Rs 14,000 crore development projects across road, rail and agri sectors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, October 30, launched and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 14,000 crore in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, covering road and rail connectivity, agriculture, dairy infrastructure and child welfare.

Among the major infrastructure projects is the upgrade of the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway, also known as State Highway 41, from four lanes to eight lanes at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. The project is expected to improve road connectivity between Ahmedabad and North Gujarat.

Two new railway services were also flagged off: the Ahmedabad (Sabarmati)-Varanasi Express and the Mehsana-Becharaji-Sabarmati MEMU service.

PM Modi lays foundation stone for Ahmedabad Metro extensions to airport and GIFT City

The programme also included the laying of foundation stones for two Ahmedabad Metro extensions connecting GIFT City and the airport.

Agriculture and dairy infrastructure

Agriculture-related projects formed a substantial part of the package. Modi dedicated 521 completed projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, involving a combined project cost of around Rs 4,950 crore. These include warehouses, cold storage facilities, silos, polyhouses, greenhouses and food-processing infrastructure.

The programme also marked the launch of on-ground work for 12 horticulture clusters covering around 1.46 lakh hectares and expected to benefit more than 1.3 lakh farmers. The clusters will cover crops including tomato, potato, chilli, grapes, banana, onion, orange, pomegranate and cocoa.

Two clusters in North Gujarat will focus on potato cultivation, benefiting farmers in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha.

In Banaskantha, the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre at Bhildi was dedicated to the nation. Spread over 127 acres, the facility is intended to support cattle breeding, genetic improvement and reproductive technologies, with a focus on indigenous breeds, including Kankrej.

From farms and dairy to infrastructure and connectivity, Banaskantha is making new strides in development. https://t.co/PCTYAW27DN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2026

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for two Bio-CNG plants operated by Banas Dairy at Tharad and Radhanpur. The facilities will process 75 metric tonnes and 100 metric tonnes of cattle dung per day, respectively.

Other dairy-related projects included the expanded potato processing plant at Sanadar and an automated storage and retrieval system for ultra-high-temperature products at Palanpur.

Anganwadis and farmer support

The child welfare programme includes the construction of 4,030 new child-friendly Anganwadi centres and the inauguration of 361 completed centres across Gujarat. The initiative involves an investment of Rs 800 crore and is expected to benefit more than four lakh children and pregnant women.

Modi also released the 24th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. More than Rs 18,690 crore was transferred directly to the bank accounts of over 9.34 crore eligible farmers across the country.

Addressing the gathering, Modi highlighted government support for farmers through schemes covering income assistance, minimum support prices, crop insurance and solar-powered irrigation. He also referred to the role of technology in improving livestock breeding and dairy productivity.

He said government measures over the past 12 years had provided or saved more than Rs 50 lakh crore for farmers through various schemes and decisions, including PM-KISAN, fertiliser subsidies, MSP payments, crop insurance and solar pumps.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the importance of water conservation and urged farmers and residents to continue saving water and electricity.