New Delhi, December 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Rohtang tunnel to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary on Wednesday. Dedicating the Rohtang passageway to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi said that the corridor that connects Himachal to Ladakh and Jammu Kashmir will be called 'Atal Tunnel'. The central government on Tuesday announced to name the Rohtang tunnel after Vajpayee. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Biopic Titled ‘The Untold Vajpayee’ in the Scripting Stage.

"Today an important project that is very important for the country has been dedicated to Atal Ji. Rohtang Tunnel connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh and Jammu Kashmir, and connecting Manali with Leh, will now be known as Atal Tunnel," PM Modi said after giving a new name to the passageway. He also launched a water scheme named after Vajpayee - Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL). Earlier today, PM Modi paid floral tributes to Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary at Vajpayee's memorial, Sadaiv Atal in Delhi. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Birthday Special: Popular And Striking Speeches by Former Prime Minister.

PM Modi also sent a minute-long video message in Hindi, saying the words of Vajpayee were powerful, but his silence had even more power. "He had an amazing power of knowing when he should turn mute and when he should speak," the Prime Minister said. Vajpayee, who served as Prime Minister three times, was born on this day in 1924. He died in August 2018 due to age-related illness.

Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur urged the central government to rename the Rohtang tunnel as Atal tunnel as a mark of respect to the late BJP stalwart, who had laid the foundation stone for the tunnel in 2003. The Border Roads Organisation, a wing of the central government that constructs and maintains crucial road links along international borders, was tasked with the construction of the 8.80 km horseshoe-shaped tunnel which lies beneath the Rohtang Pass.

The Atal Bhujal Yojna, which got the Cabinet's nod on Tuesday, aims to improve groundwater management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven states - Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 25, 2019 12:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).