Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Chhattisgarh on Saturday and took part in the Rajat Mahotsav, celebrating 25 years since the state was formed.

During his visit, the Prime Minister dedicated the state’s new legislative Assembly building, which has been described as a symbol of innovation and foresight, designed to meet both present and future needs.

More than just a piece of architecture, the building represents Chhattisgarh’s cultural richness, traditional values, and deep faith.

Built at a cost of Rs 324 crore, the grand complex spreads across 51 acres and is divided into three main wings. Wing A houses the Assembly Secretariat, Wing B includes the main chamber, the Central Hall, and offices for the Chief Minister and the Speaker, while Wing C has ministerial offices. Every section has been carefully designed to ensure comfort, accessibility, and beauty.

The new Assembly follows eco-friendly principles and reflects a commitment to sustainability.

It features solar power systems, two rainwater harvesting lakes, and the use of green materials, setting an example for sustainable public buildings. Every step of construction followed national standards for energy saving and environmental care.

Among its modern facilities, the building has a fully equipped auditorium that can seat 500 people and a Central Hall with space for 100 members.

Prime Minister Modi also launched and laid foundation stones for various development projects worth more than Rs 14,260 crore in sectors such as roads, healthcare, energy, and industry.

As part of the ‘Dil Ki Baat’ programme, he met around 2500 children who recovered from congenital heart diseases at the ‘Gift of Life’ event held in Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital, Nava Raipur.

He also inaugurated the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial and Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, launched ‘Shanti Shikhar’ of Brahma Kumaris, a new spiritual learning and meditation centre, and introduced 12 new Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme blocks across nine districts of Chhattisgarh.

The Prime Minister unveiled a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the new Vidhan Sabha and released the Museum Portal along with the e-book “Aadi Shourya” to pay tribute to the nation’s freedom fighters.

Speaking at the event marking 25 years of the state’s formation, he called it a deeply emotional moment, recalling his association with Chhattisgarh since its creation under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi described the new Assembly building as a “temple of democracy” and congratulated citizens for their role in the state’s development.

The Prime Minister announced that developmental projects worth over Rs 14,260 crore that had been inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid across sectors, including roads, power, healthcare, and industry. He noted that the state’s road network had expanded to 40,000 kilometres and highlighted that travel time between Raipur and Bilaspur had been halved due to new highways and expressways. Modi also laid the foundation stone for a new four-lane highway linking Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and said the state had seen major improvements in both rail and air connectivity, with Vande Bharat trains and new direct flights connecting Raipur, Bilaspur, and Jagdalpur.

The Prime Minister credited former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh for his contribution to Chhattisgarh’s progress and commended the current government under Vishnu Deo Sai for its focus on rapid development. He also outlined the government’s welfare achievements, noting that the state now has 14 medical colleges and an AIIMS in Raipur, compared to just one medical college at the time of its formation. Over 5,500 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the state.

Highlighting housing initiatives, Modi said that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, over 3.5 lakh families in Chhattisgarh had received new homes, with Rs 1,200 crore disbursed to nearly three lakh beneficiaries. He said, nationwide, four crore families had received pucca houses, and work was underway to build three crores more. He added that electricity and the internet had now reached all villages and announced the dedication of the Nagpur–Jharsuguda gas pipeline to the nation.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the government’s commitment to tribal welfare, inaugurating the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum, which showcases over 150 years of tribal history. He cited the Rs 80,000 crore Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and the PM-JANMAN scheme aimed at the most vulnerable tribal groups.

Addressing security and development, Modi said Chhattisgarh was freeing itself from Naxalism, with affected districts reducing from 125 to just three. He noted recent mass surrenders in Kanker and Bastar and described how villages like Chilkapalli, Rekawaya, and Puvarti had seen electricity and schools for the first time.

The Prime Minister also announced several new projects, including 12 Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme blocks, five government medical colleges, a government Ayurveda college, a pharmaceutical park, and two smart industrial areas. He dedicated energy projects worth Rs 3,750 crore, inaugurated the Raipur petroleum depot, and laid foundations for new substations under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme.