Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also a Varanasi MP, is leaving no stone unturned to beautify this mythical city on the mantra of “Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi” and turning it into a model city of development.
Attending the meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee ‘Disha’ here at Circuit House, the minister informed that from 2014 till now, 486 projects worth Rs 35,155 crore have been completed in Varanasi, and work is going on 125 additional projects worth Rs 16,338 crore.
The minister said recently, in August 2025, the Prime Minister has added another link to the grandeur of Nava-Divya Kashi by laying the foundation stone and inaugurating several development projects worth about Rs 2200 crore related to the fields of education, health care, tourism, urban development, and cultural heritage in Varanasi.
“Just like the uninterrupted flow of Maa Ganga, the development is also progressing in Kashi. Now, this city is both ancient and progressive, and by adopting modernity, Kashi has not only preserved its heritage but has also embraced a bright future. Today, it is becoming a ‘model city’ of development,” Puri claimed.
The Union Minister said on this land of hopes, dreams, and possibilities, various public welfare schemes were being implemented.
In the meeting with public representatives and officials, the progress of development works was reviewed, and suggestions were taken. The action plan of the previous meeting was also discussed in the meeting, the minister informed through his social media post.
“Now, the next meeting of DISHA will be eagerly awaited so that the pace of development can be accelerated further with better coordination,” the minister said.
DISHA, established by the Union Rural Development Ministry, monitors the implementation of central government schemes at the district level.