On Ayodhya Visit, PM's Detour For Tea At Welfare Scheme Beneficiary's Home

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the house of a woman who is the tenth-crore beneficiary the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya today.

PM Modi was offered tea at the home of the beneficiary of the flagship scheme that provides clean cooking fuel such as LPG cylinders to rural and deprived households, which otherwise had been using firewood, coal, and cow-dung cakes.

Using traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.

A large crowd greeted PM Modi as he walked on the narrow streets of Ayodhya. The Prime Minister also signed on a painting that a boy showed him.

Earlier today, PM Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flagged off two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains, some virtually.

He will also inaugurate an airport and lay the foundation stones for development projects in UP.

After inaugurating the railway station, PM Modi took a tour of the facility. He was accompanied by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, among others.

The Phase-I of the redeveloped station -- Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station -- has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 240 crore, officials said.

The three-storey railway station building is equipped with features such as lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloak rooms, child care rooms, waiting halls.

This visit by the Prime Minister comes ahead of the 'pran pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of the Ram temple. It is currently under construction, with the consecration ceremony to be held on January 22.