Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched developmental projects worth over Rs 550 crore in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, the Hindustan Times reported. Varanasi is also Modi’s parliamentary constituency.

Speaking at a public rally, Modi said Varanasi is being developed as the gateway of eastern India. “It is being equipped with world class facilities.” The prime minister said the city will emerge as a hub of modern transportation and efforts were on to improve heritage sites and provide better facilities for tourists.

“Efforts are being made to clean River Ganga from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar,” ANI quoted Modi as saying. “Till now, schemes worth Rs 21,000 crore approximately have been approved towards cleaning of River Ganga.”

Modi said the BJP government was “bringing positive change to Kashi” while preserving the identity and tradition of the place. “The previous governments did not carry out development,” he said. “We strengthen this resolve of change in Benaras with full dedication. New Kashi makes a new contribution to the development of new India,” Modi said.

Modi also launched projects to make Banaras Hindu University a “21st knowledge centre”, according to Hindustan Times.

The projects launched on Tuesday include underground cabling works worth Rs 362 crore under the Integrated Power Development Scheme and inauguration of the Atal Incubation Centre, which will support start-up businesses. The prime minister also laid the foundation stone for the Centre for Vedic Sciences and Regional Institute of Ophthalmology. Both will come up on the premises of Banaras Hindu University.

Modi arrived in Varanasi on Monday, his 68th birthday. He met school children and 75 children from Kashi. He also met around 200 Anganwadi and Asha Workers.