Thiruvananathapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to reach Kerala on Monday for a two-day visit to the state.
Upon his arrival from Madhya Pradesh on board an Indian Air Force aircraft at the naval airport at Willingdon Island, Kochi, the PM will be leading a mega road show along the 1.8-km stretch from the Thevara Junction to the Sacred Heart College ground. The rally is scheduled to begin by 5:30 pm.
After attending the Yuvam 2023, an interaction programme with the youth at 6 pm, the PM is scheduled to hold a meeting with the heads of different Church denominations at 7:45 pm. Following this meeting, to be held at hotel Taj Malabar, he will be staying overnight at the same hotel.
Schedule in Thiruvananathapuram
The PM will be leaving Kochi tomorrow at 9:25 am for Thiruvananathapuram. He is set to arrive at the Thiruvananathapuram airport at 10:15 am. At 10:30 am, he will be flagging off the Vande Bharat Express train service from the Thiruvanathapuram Central railway station. The PM will spend around 20 minutes at the railway station though he will not travel on board the train.
From there, he will be leaving for the Thriuvanathapuram Central Stadium to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 3,200 crore, which are initiated by the Central Government in Kerala. The official launch of the Kochi Water Metro service and the Digital University too will be carried out on the occasion.
Railway projects to be unveiled
Besides the Vande Bharat launch, the PM will also inaugurate a slew of development projects taking place under the Thiruvananathapuram and Palakkad railway divisions. A comprehensive railway development plan by focussing on the Kochuveli- Thiruvananthapuram, Nemom railway stations, declaration of the Nemom Terminal project, inauguration of a project to elevate the Thiruvanathapuram Central, Varkala-Sivagiri and Kozhikode railway stations to international standards, foundation stone laying of a project to raise the train speed along the Thiruvanathapuram-Shoranur section to 110 km/hr etc will also be launched.
The PM will also dedicate to the public the renovated Kochuveli railway station and the electrified rail route from Dindigul to Pollachi via Palani. After spending around an hour at the Central Stadium, the PM is slated to leave for Surat in Gujarat by 12:40 noon.
Governor not to receive the PM
Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan has not been included in the list of delegates for receiving the Prime Minister on his arrival in Kochi. He reached Kochi on Sunday evening, and is scheduled to leave for the state capital by Monday morning.
Rajbhavan sources said the Governor would abstain from the event as the events including the road show were unofficial events.
Thampanoor Depot to be shut till 11 am
In view of the visit of the Prime Minister in Thiruvanathapuram, the KSRTC depot at Thampanoor in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city will be closed down temporarily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. All shops and offices operating at the KSRTC complex here will start functioning after 11 a.m. The bus services from the depot, meanwhile, will be shifted to Vikas Bhavan.
Restriction on ticket sales, autorickshaws
Restrictions will be imposed on the movement of passengers to platform 1 and 2 of the Thiruvanathapuram Central railway station as well as on the selling of train tickets on Tuesday morning. The parking of autorickshaws in front of the railway station and the KSRTC depot too will be regulated.