PM Modi unveils statue of Vajpayee on his birth anniversary

The statue which was made in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is a tribute to the BJP co-founder whose 95th birth anniversary is being observed on Tuesday.

The prime minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

He also laid the foundation stone for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in the Uttar Pradesh capital.

The state government has given 50 acres of land for the varsity. 

The event coincided with the birth anniversary of Vajpayee, who represented Lucknow in the Lok Sabha five times. 

Modi also launched the  Atal Bhujal Scheme for better management of groundwater, stressing on the need to use technology which helps prevent wastage of water in various spheres, including agriculture.

He also renamed Rohtang passageway in Himachal Pradesh as Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Urging farmers to switch over to crops that use less water, he exhorted people not to waste the precious natural resource in daily household needs. He asked start-ups to come up with technology to ensure minimal use of water for various needs. Modi said only three crore out of 18 crore rural households today have clean, piped water.

The plan, he said, is to provide the remaining 15 crore rural households with piped water in the next five years.