PM Modi to visit Gorakhpur, Varanasi on Friday; to attend Gita Press function

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gorakhpur and his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Friday and attend various programmes, launch development projects and address a public meeting.

In Gorakhpur, the prime minister will attend the closing ceremony of Gita Press centenary celebrations in the afternoon, said Lalmani Tripathi, manager of the publisher of religious books.

During the programme, he will visit Lila Chitra temple and also will have a photo session with the trustees of the Gita Press. He will also address a gathering there, Tripathi said.

Tripathi said that everyone is happy at Gita Press and the centenary year celebrations will be unforgettable due to PM Modi's presence.

The opening ceremony of the centenary year celebrations was graced by the then President Ramnath Kovind.

In Gorakhpur, Prime Minister Modi will also flag off the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express around 3.40 pm from platform number 1, officials said.

In Varanasi, Modi will address a rally in Wajidpur and announce Rs 12,148 crore in funding towards several projects underway in the district.

"The PM will lay the foundation stone of schemes worth Rs 1,800 crore and inaugurate schemes worth about 10,000 crore," Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said.

"PM Modi will lay foundation stones for an international cricket stadium and three rail overbridges, among other projects," Sharma said.

The prime minister will also dedicate to the public a 10-storey international hostel built in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), he said, adding he is also likely to flag off water taxis.

PM Modi will night stay in Bareka and will attend a "tiffin meeting" with the BJP workers.

BJP district president Hansraj Vishwakarma said the entire city has been spruced up ahead of the PM's visit.

Vishwakarma, also an Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member, said the PM will reach Varanasi airport Friday evening from Gorakhpur.

From the airport, Modi will fly to Wajidpur in a helicopter and will address a rally there which is expected to be attended by more than 50,000 party workers, he added.

Meanwhile, the authorities in both the districts have made elaborate security arrangements for the PM's visit.

In Goraknpur, the buses going towards Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Delhi and Kushinagar will be operated from Champa Devi Park, officials said.

The buses for Sonouli, Bargadwa and Maharajganj routes will stop near the medical college, they said, adding that movement of autos and e-rickshaws will be restricted.

In Gorakhpur, the entry of roadways buses will be banned from 1 pm to 4 pm, the officials said.