PM Modi Launches ₹5,470-Crore Projects in Jalandhar, Highlights Healthcare, Education and Connectivity Push

July 17, 2026

Jalandhar City: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached Jalandhar after his visit to Chandigarh and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth ₹5,470 crore. Before arriving in Jalandhar, he interacted with schoolchildren aboard the Sir Govardhanpur Varanasi Express and met Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Das during the journey.

Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, who recently joined the BJP, attended the event, while former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh was absent.

Healthcare Expansion a Key Focus

Addressing a gathering in Chandigarh earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said healthcare was becoming more accessible to every citizen. He announced that a new MBBS college in Chandigarh had received approval and classes would begin soon. Modi said the Centre had significantly expanded medical education over the past 12 years by establishing new AIIMS institutions and increasing MBBS seats across the country.

He also highlighted the success of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, saying nearly 1.75 lakh centres are now providing primary healthcare services, while telemedicine through eSanjeevani is helping patients consult doctors from home.

Education, Technology and Infrastructure Get Major Boost

The Prime Minister said Chandigarh was emerging as a hub for education, research and innovation. He inaugurated new hostels at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) and Government College, Sector 46, expressing confidence that the city’s youth would play a leading role in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors and deepfake detection.

He also launched key connectivity projects, including the IT City-Greenfield Road Project and laid the foundation stone for the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway, which he said would ease traffic congestion and improve regional connectivity. Earlier in Haryana’s Jind, Modi flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train.

PM Modi Meets Sant Niranjan Das Aboard Varanasi Express During Punjab Visit

TB Cases Down 21%, Swachh Bharat and Medical Tourism Highlighted

The Prime Minister said India’s healthcare system had undergone a major transformation over the last decade. Citing a World Health Organization (WHO) report, he said TB cases in the country had declined by 21 per cent, while treatment coverage had crossed 90 per cent.

Modi also praised Chandigarh’s cleanliness initiatives and lauded IPS officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu, who was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to sanitation awareness. He said India’s growing healthcare infrastructure had also strengthened its position as a global destination for medical tourism.

Speaking earlier, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said India now has more than 23 AIIMS and over 818 medical colleges, compared to 387 earlier, adding that the government plans to further increase undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats.