New Delhi, October 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Gujarat from Thursday to lead the celebrations marking the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Kevadia. As per agency report, the Prime Minister will arrive at Ekta Nagar on Thursday evening, where he will flag off electric buses and inaugurate or lay the foundation stones for various infrastructure and development projects worth over Rs 1,140 crore.
On Friday, Modi will pay floral tribute at the Statue of Unity and participate in the National Unity Day celebrations being held to commemorate Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary. He will also interact with officer trainees of the 100th Common Foundation Course under the ‘Aarambh 7.0’ programme.
According to an official statement, the ongoing development works in Ekta Nagar are aimed at enhancing the tourism experience, improving connectivity, and promoting sustainable development initiatives in the region surrounding the world’s tallest statue. These projects, worth more than Rs 1,140 crore, reflect the government’s vision to boost eco-tourism, green transportation, smart infrastructure, and tribal development.
Among the projects to be inaugurated are the Birsa Munda Tribal University in Rajpipla, Hospitality District (Phase 1) in Garudeshwar, Vaman Vriksha Vatika, Satpura Protection Wall, e-bus charging depot with 25 electric buses, Narmada Ghat expansion, Kaushalya Path, the walkway from Ekta Dwar to Shreshtha Bharat Bhavan (Phase 2), smart bus stops (Phase 2), Dam Replica Fountain, and GSEC Quarters. The foundation stones will be laid for projects such as the Museum of Royal Kingdoms of India, Veer Balak Udyan, Sports Complex, Varsha Van Project, Godi development near Shoolpaneshwar Ghat, and installation of a travellator at the Statue of Unity.
To mark the occasion, the Prime Minister will also release a commemorative coin and postage stamp of Rs 150 denomination dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
On Friday, Modi will lead the National Unity Day ceremony, administer the unity pledge, and review the Unity Day parade. The parade will feature contingents from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), along with various state police units.
This year’s parade will highlight several attractions, including the BSF marching contingent accompanied by Indian dog breeds such as Rampur Hounds and Mudhol Hounds, the Gujarat Police equestrian unit, a motorcycle daredevil display by Assam Police, and the BSF camel contingent with its camel band.
The event will also honor five CRPF personnel awarded the Shaurya Chakra and sixteen BSF personnel who received gallantry medals for their exceptional bravery during anti-Naxal operations in Jharkhand and counter-terrorism missions in Jammu and Kashmir. BSF soldiers who displayed valor during Operation Sindoor will also be felicitated.
The National Unity Day parade this year will include tableaux from the National Security Guard (NSG), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and ten states and union territories—Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Puducherry—based on the theme of “Unity in Diversity.” A cultural program featuring 900 artists will showcase the richness and diversity of Indian culture through various classical dance forms.
This year’s National Unity Day celebrations hold special significance as the nation commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The seventh edition of the ‘Aarambh’ programme, themed “Reimagining Governance,” will also take place during the event, with 660 officer trainees from 16 Indian civil services and three services from Bhutan participating in the 100th Foundation Course.
