PM Modi on Friday announced the decision to repeal the three central farm laws (FILE)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Noida International Airport on Thursday in his first public event in western Uttar Pradesh after he announced the government's decision to roll back the three controversial farm laws.
PM Modi on Friday announced the decision to repeal the three central farm laws that led to massive protests across the country by farmers over the last year. The opposition and farmer leaders have scorned the timing of the decision, claiming it was taken keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. He addressed public meetings in Mahoba and Jhansi on the day of announcement.
The airport in Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar district is a key infrastructure project of the Yogi Adityanath government in the state, where the next assembly elections are expected in early 2022.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will review the preparations on Tuesday for the ceremony to be held around noon on Thursday. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also organised a big public meeting on the occasion.
The airport is being developed in public-private partnership (PPP) mode and is touted to be the biggest airport in India upon completion. It is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Zurich International Airport AG, the Swiss concessionaire of the project.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh, who is also the state government's in-charge minister of Gautam Buddh Nagar, held a meeting with Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh and other top officials of the district to review preparations for the Prime Minister's visit, reported news agency PTI.
"The minister asked all officials concerned to finalise their plan of action for the day and make sure that the programme is held as per plan. He also reviewed preparations for a helipad near the spot, the ground breaking ceremony and the public meeting," District Information Officer Rakesh Singh Chauhan was quoted by PTI as saying.