Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 23 projects worth ₹307.83 crore and laid the foundation stones for eight others worth ₹118.88 crore at Gujarat's Ekta Nagar on Saturday. The projects, with a combined investment of ₹426.71 crore, aim to improve tourism infrastructure and strengthen facilities around the Statue of Unity.

Modi attended the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations on October 31, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The initiatives seek to develop Ekta Nagar into a major national and international tourist destination.

Among the major attractions inaugurated were an IRCTC hotel built at a cost of ₹50 crore, the ₹16-crore Ekta Cruise, a Rain Forest attraction worth ₹14.30 crore and an Eco Trail developed for ₹3.67 crore. Travelators worth ₹28.22 crore have also been installed to make movement easier for visitors.

Other attractions include two nine-metre-long air-conditioned electric buses, an upgraded Unity Glow Garden, Ekta Prakash Parv and sculptures and architectural features at various locations. The projects also cover the beautification of Shoolpaneshwar Narmada Ghat, facade lighting across the Statue of Unity campus and an extension of the walkway connecting Ekta Nagar railway station to the Visitor Centre.

Several projects focus on improving basic infrastructure. These include a sewage treatment plant worth ₹45.53 crore, a water treatment plant costing ₹21.40 crore and a parade track with related works estimated at ₹23.81 crore. A 24-metre-wide colony road worth ₹23 crore and staff quarters costing ₹14.25 crore were also inaugurated.

Other completed works include CISF barracks, water stations, a terminal building and jetty near Mokhadi village, and road development near Gate No. 8 of the Statue of Unity. Landscaping using Geocell technology has also improved greenery and the appearance of stone-pitched slopes near the new high-level Gora Bridge.

The eight new projects include Gora-Bhanadra Road development worth ₹59.32 crore, a Smart Zero Waste integrated solid waste management project costing ₹36.58 crore and Khalwani Bridge development worth ₹7.72 crore. The remaining projects include an Integrated Cactus and Butterfly Garden worth ₹5.79 crore and Khalwani Eco-Tourism development costing ₹5.15 crore.

Other proposed works include widening Vaghadia Road to improve access to the river rafting point and solid waste disposal site. A disaster control room will also be constructed to strengthen emergency response and management around the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

The celebrations featured floral tributes to Patel and the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Ekta Parade. Personnel from Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces and central police organisations participated in the parade.

The Statue of Unity, dedicated to India's first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, stands near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat's Narmada district. It is the world's tallest statue.