PM Narendra Modi To Unveil Atal Bihari Vajpayee Statue At Lok Bhawan In Lucknow Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a statue of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Lok Bhawan here on Wednesday. The event coincides with the birth anniversary of Vajpayee, who represented Lucknow in the Lok Sabha five times -- 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

The venue in the high security zone of the state capital has been sanitised, keeping in view the recent state-wide agitation against the amended citizenship law.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University for which the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to transfer 50 acres of land.

On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved the renaming of the strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass after former the Prime Minister. The renaming of the tunnel will take place on Wednesday.

"The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 03, 2000 when late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the access road to the south portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002," according to a release by the PIB.

The 8.8-kilometre-long tunnel is the world's longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres, according to the release.

"It will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and save crores of rupees in transport costs. It is a 10.5-metre wide single tube bi-lane tunnel with a fireproof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself," it said.

The strategically important tunnel is nearing completion and once operational, it will provide all-weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.

(With PTI and ANI Inputs)