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PM Modi addresses Global Potato Conference via video conferencing

Published By : Admin | January 28, 2020 | 10:21 IST
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PM addressed the 3rd Global Potato Conclave at Gandhinagar, Gujarat through Video Conferencing today. The previous two Global Potato Conferences were organized during 1999, and 2008. The Conclave is being organized by Indian Potato Association (IPA) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla and International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru.

Scientists around the world, potato farmers and other stakeholders have gathered for the Global Potato Conclave to discuss the important aspects related to food and nutrition demand in the next few days.

Addressing the Conclave, the Prime Minister said that the highlight of the 3rd conclave is that Potato Conference, AgriExpo and Potato Field Day are all happening at the same time. He also said that it is a commendable effort that 6 thousand farmers are going on field visits on the Field Day.

The Prime Minister said that it is significant that the 3rd Global Potato Conclave is being held in Gujarat, the leading state in Potato production and productivity in the country. He said that while the area under potato cultivation increased by about 20% in India in the last eleven years, it has increased by about 170% in Gujarat during the same period.

The Prime Minister said that this is largely owing to the policy initiatives and decisions which lead to the State using modern methods of agriculture like sprinkler and drip irrigation for cultivation, along with the best cold storage facilities and linkages to the Food Processing Industry. He said today Gujarat has major Potato processing companies in the state and that most of the potato exporters are also based in Gujarat. These have led to the emergence of the state as a major potato hub in the country.

The Prime Minister said that his Government is taking rapid steps towards the goal of doubling the income of farmers by 2022. He added that as a result of the efforts of farmers and the combination of government policy, India is among the top 3 countries in the world in the production of many cereals and other food items. He also listed the steps taken by his Government to promote food processing industries at every level like opening the sector to 100% FDI, helping in value addition and value chain development through PM Kisan Sampada Yojana.

The Prime Minister also mentioned that earlier this month, a new record has also been created by transferring an amount of Rs. 12,000 crores to the bank accounts of 6 crore farmers through direct transfer. He also mentioned that the priority of his Government is to reduce middlemen and other layers between the farmer and the consumer. He said that the government's emphasis is also on promoting agricultural technology-based start ups so that farmers' databases and agri stacks needed for smart and precision agriculture can be used.

The Prime Minister urged the scientists to provide solutions to various issues in Agriculture through modern biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, Block chain, Drone Technology. He said that the greatest responsibility of the scientific community and policy makers is to see that no one is left hungry or malnourished.

Background:

The 3rd Global Potato Conclave will provide an opportunity to bring all stakeholders at one common platform so that all the issues are discussed and future plans are made involving everyone related to the potato sector. This will be a unique event to expose different stakeholders of the country to the frontiers of knowledge and innovations in potato research. This mega event has three major components; (i) The Potato Conference, (ii) The Agri Expo and (iii) Potato Field Day.

The Potato Conference will be held for 3 days during 28-30 January, 2020. It will have 10 themes out of which 8 themes are based on basic and applied research. The remaining two themes will have special emphasis on potato trade, value chain management and policy issues.

AgriExpo will be organized during 28 to 30 January, 2020, to showcase the status of potato-based industries and trade, processing, seed potato production, biotechnology, public-private partnership in technology transfer and farmers related products etc.

Potato Field Day will be organized on January 31, 2020. This will include demonstration of advancements in potato mechanization, potato varieties and latest technologies.

Major issues that are to crop up are Shortage of Planting Material, Supply Chains, Post-Harvest Losses, needs for enhanced processing, export and diversified utilisation and necessary policy support – viz for production and use of certified seed, for long distance transport and export promotion.

 

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Cabinet approves infrastructure projects between National Highway-19 and Varanasi Ring Road in Uttar Pradesh worth Rs.14447.64 crore
July 15, 2026

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today has approved the development of a Link/Connector Corridor between National Highway-19 (NH-19) and the Varanasi Ring Road with riverbank connectivity along the River Ganga for the decongestion of Varanasi City in Uttar Pradesh. The 46.039 km project, comprising a six-lane elevated main carriageway, an iconic cable-stayed bridge, an extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-Major Bridge, loops, ramps, link roads and service roads, will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs.14,447.64 crore including a civil construction cost of Rs.6,037.85 crore (including utility shifting, excluding GST) and a land acquisition cost of Rs.541.11 crore under NH(O).

The project will provide seamless connectivity between NH-19 and the Varanasi Ring Road, significantly decongesting the city’s road network and improving urban mobility. Designed for an operating speed of 80–100 km/h, it is expected to reduce the average travel time across the project influence area from approximately 60 minutes to 20 minutes, representing a reduction of nearly 67 per cent. Travel time between NH-19 and Kashi Railway Station will be reduced from approximately 50 minutes to about 25 minutes, resulting in a saving of about 25 minutes (nearly 50 per cent).

Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the corridor will strengthen multimodal connectivity by providing seamless access to major highways, railway stations, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport and Ramnagar IWAI Port, while significantly improving connectivity to key religious, educational and cultural landmarks, including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the Ghats of Varanasi. By linking important economic, social and logistics nodes, the project will improve logistics efficiency, enhance road safety, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support sustainable regional economic growth across eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The corridor has been conceived as a transformative urban mobility project to decongest the road network of Varanasi & Chandauli by providing a high-speed, access-controlled connection between NH-19, the Varanasi Ring Road (NH-135B), Ramnagar/ BHU and other major urban destinations. With more than 15 crore tourists and pilgrims visiting Varanasi every year, the project will significantly improve connectivity to major religious, educational and cultural landmarks, including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort, the Ghats of Varanasi, and Kashi Railway Station, while substantially reducing congestion on the existing city road network. An elevated spur between BHU/Lanka and Samne Ghat will further ease traffic congestion at the heavily trafficked Lanka Junction by separating through traffic from local traffic movements.

The project will improve road safety through controlled-access movement, reduce vehicle operating costs and emissions, enhance travel reliability, and facilitate the efficient movement of passenger and freight traffic. It will also decongest NH-19, the BHU-Ramnagar Corridor and NH-35 by diverting through traffic away from the densely developed urban core.

The project incorporates several landmark engineering features, including an iconic 910 m cable-stayed bridge across the River Ganga, a 1.32 km extradosed Foot Over Bridge-cum-Major Bridge with travelators providing seamless pedestrian connectivity to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a Rail Over Bridge over the existing/proposed Malviya Bridge, dedicated emergency parking bays, noise barriers, façade lighting and architectural elements inspired by the cultural heritage of Varanasi. These features will not only improve transportation efficiency but also enhance the city’s urban landscape, create an iconic addition to Varanasi’s skyline, and reinforce its position as one of India’s foremost religious and cultural destinations.

Planned in accordance with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the corridor will strengthen multimodal connectivity by linking one Economic Node (Chandauli SEZ), one Social Node (Chandauli Aspirational District) and six major Logistics Nodes, namely Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Kashi Railway Station, Banaras Railway Station, Varanasi City Railway Station, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction and Ramnagar IWAI Port. By providing seamless connectivity between these transport hubs and key destinations such as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Namo Ghat, Ramnagar Fort and the Ghats of Varanasi, the project will enhance multimodal integration, improve logistics efficiency, facilitate tourism and pilgrimage, and support sustainable regional economic development across eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Overall, the proposed Ganga Elevated Corridor will create a modern, high-capacity urban transport corridor that transforms mobility in Varanasi by providing faster, safer and more reliable connectivity, significantly reducing congestion, strengthening multimodal integration, enhancing tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure, and supporting sustainable economic growth in line with the vision of PM Gati Shakti and Viksit Bharat.

Map of Corridor: