Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation of various hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi on Monday. He addressed a rally at Paddal ground, Mandi town, after inaugurating 287 investment projects worth over Rs 28,197 crore.

Modi also congratulated the Jai Ram Thakur-led government for completing four years in the state. He said the last four years have seen the state transform rapidly under the leadership of the chief minister.

State Chief Minister Jairam Thakur welcomed the Prime Minister by offering a Himachali cap and a shawl. A traditional artifact of Chamba made on silver was presented to Modi, who was accompanying his Cabinet minister Anurag Thakur.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Renukaji Dam project. The 40 MW project will be built at a cost of around Rs 7,000 crore. It will generate electricity for the hill state and will provide 500 million cubic metre water supply per year to the national capital.

 The project was made possible through the "vision of cooperative federalism" of the Prime Minister, when six states which includes Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi were brought together by the Centre for making the project possible.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project. The 210 MW project will be built at a cost of over Rs 1,800 crore. It will lead to generation of over 750 million units of electricity per year. The modern and dependable grid support will prove beneficial to the surrounding states of the region as well.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project. This will be the first hydropower project of Hamirpur district. The 66 MW project will be built at a cost of over Rs 680 crore. It will lead to generation of over 300 million units of electricity per year.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project. The 111 MW project has been built at a cost of around Rs 2,080 crore. It will lead to generation of over 380 million units of electricity per year, and help the state earn revenue worth over Rs 120 crore annually.

PM Modi also attended the second ground breaking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Global Investors’ Meet. He also visited an exhibition put up by various departments of the state government.

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