PM Modi to launch country’s first river link project ‘Ken-Betwa’ on Vajpayee’s birth centenary today in MP

Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the country’s first river-linking project, the Ken-Betwa, in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, on Wednesday.

The event marks a tribute on the 100th birth anniversary, on December 25 to the late BJP’s ideological stalwart and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had taken the idea of River Linking.

The visit will be marked by the laying of the foundation stone for the centrally-sponsored Ken-Betwa initiative under the National River Linking Project, the first of its kind in India, aimed at revolutionising water management in the Bundelkhand region of MP and Uttar Pradesh, a government release stated.

At the event, PM Modi will also dedicate the country’s first Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project (OFSP) to the nation and perform the bhoomi pujan for 1,153 Atal Gram Sushasan Bhavans.

Additionally, he will release a commemorative coin and stamp in honour of Bharat Ratna Vajpayee.

MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the project is a unique example of cooperation and coordination among states and the Centre.

“PM Modi ji has taken the initiative to realise former PM Atal ji’s dream of the river linking,” CM Yadav said.

“The multipurpose and ambitious Ken-Betwa Link Project will change the face and destiny of the entire Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and UP,” CM Yadav said.

MP Governor Mangubhai Patel, CM Yadav, and Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil will accompany the Prime Minister in this landmark event.

The project aims to irrigate 8.11 lakh hectares across 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Chhatarpur, Panna, and Tikamgarh, and stabilize irrigation for an additional 1.92 lakh hectares in Uttar Pradesh.

This initiative is expected to benefit 44 lakh farmer families by improving crop production and incomes, thereby bolstering the rural economy. It also promises to supply drinking water to 44 lakh people in Madhya Pradesh and 21 lakh in Uttar Pradesh, generate 103 MW of green energy, and create new employment opportunities.

The OFSP in the Khandwa district, established on the holy river Narmada, marks a significant step towards energy self-reliance and sustainability, an official said. With the first phase already operational, the project will soon add 240 MW in its second phase.

PM Modi will also perform the bhoomi pujan for 1,153 Atal Gram Sushasan Bhavans, designed to enhance local governance infrastructure. These Panchayat buildings, valued at Rs 437.62 crore, are part of a larger effort to provide modern facilities in 2,500 Gram Panchayats across the state.