PM Modi to address tribal rally and inaugurate Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal on Monday

PTI, Nov 14, 2021, 6:13 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a convention of tribal communities in the Madhya Pradesh capital on Monday to mark the “Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas” and inaugurate the revamped Rani Kamalapati railway station, earlier known as Habibanj, besides launching various initiatives. The Centre recently announced to celebrate November 15 as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ every year in remembrance of tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

The PM will address the tribal rally and launch multiple initiatives for the welfare of tribal communities around 1 PM at BHEL’s Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal, officials said. The prime minister will launch the ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ scheme in Madhya Pradesh which aims at doorstep delivery of monthly ration quota under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to tribal beneficiaries so that they don’t need to travel to the Fair Price Shops.

The PM will also hand over genetic counseling cards to beneficiaries, marking the launch of the Madhya Pradesh Sickle Cell (Hemoglobinopathy) Mission, developed to screen and manage patients suffering from sickle cell anaemia, Thalassemia, and other hemoglobinopathies, the officials said. Hemoglobinopathies are a group of disorders passed down through families in which there is abnormal production or structure of the hemoglobin molecule. Another event of the prime minister includes the laying of the foundation stone for 50 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in various States and UTs including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tripura, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu, they said.

Modi is also expected to walk through the exhibition of products made by tribal self-help groups (SHGs) and a photo exhibition of martyrs and heroes of the freedom struggle from MP’s tribal community. He will inaugurate the revamped Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal and launch multiple initiatives of Railways in Madhya Pradesh around 3 pm on Monday.

Rani Kamalapati Railway station, named after the queen of Bhopal’s Gond kingdom, is the first world-class railway station in Madhya Pradesh, which is redeveloped under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, officials said. This railway station has been designed as a green building with modern world-class amenities that also take into account the ease of mobility for the physically challenged. The station is revamped as a hub for integrated multi-modal transport, according to officials.

As per the schedule, the prime minister will dedicate to the nation multiple initiatives of the Railways in Madhya Pradesh including the Gauge Converted and Electrified Ujjain-Fatehabad Chandrawatiganj Broad Gauge section, the third line in Bhopal-Barkhera section, Gauge Converted and Electrified Mathela-Nimar Kheri Broad Gauge section, and Electrified Guna-Gwalior section. The PM will flag off two new MEMU trains between Ujjain-Indore and Indore-Ujjain routes, the officials said.

MP Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union ministers Virendra Kumar, Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Dr L Murugan will remain present. According to sources in BJP, the saffron party is trying to ensure the participation of at least 2.50 lakh tribals in the Jamboree Maidan rally. On its part, the Madhya Pradesh government has already exempted vehicles traveling to Bhopal to attend the tribal convention from paying the toll.

Buses ferrying tribals to the rally will also have mechanics onboard to ensure quick repair in the event of the buses developing a snag during the journey.