Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is set to visit Chandigarh, likely on July 17, to inaugurate a series of long-awaited healthcare and academic infrastructure projects, including the advanced neuroscience centre (ANC) and mother and child centre at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), along with a multipurpose auditorium at Panjab University (PU)’s South Campus in Sector 25.The PM had last visited the city on December 3, 2024, when he came to review the implementation of the new criminal laws. The main event was held at PEC, where demonstrations were organised to present changes in policing, investigation and judicial processes. (via REUTERS)The administration is exploring venue options, with Punjab Engineering College (PEC) emerging as the most likely choice for the event.The PM had last visited the city on December 3, 2024, when he came to review the implementation of the new criminal laws. The main event was held at PEC, where demonstrations were organised to present changes in policing, investigation and judicial processes.The highlight of the upcoming visit will be the inauguration of the ₹490-crore ANC, a 300-bed facility that has faced nearly nine years of delays. Conceptualised to consolidate neurology and neurosurgery services under one roof, the centre includes OPD services, inpatient wards, emergency care and advanced operation theatres, significantly enhancing PGI’s capacity to handle complex brain and spine disorders.Spread across 47,619 square metres, the six-storey ANC building includes three basements—two dedicated to parking with space for over 230 vehicles. The top floor houses 10 modular operation theatres and a minor OT designed for high-end procedures such as cerebrovascular, skull base, spinal and functional neurosurgeries. The project, approved in August 2017, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, procedural bottlenecks and procurement challenges.The need for such a facility is underscored by the rising patient load. In 2023-24, neurology and neurosurgery cases accounted for 11.8% of total admissions at PGI, with over 19,000 patients admitted and 1.3 lakh OPD visits recorded in these departments. The new centre is expected to ease pressure on existing facilities, including Nehru Hospital, the New OPD block and emergency services.Alongside the ANC, the PM will also inaugurate the ₹485-crore mother and child centre, another 300-bed facility aimed at strengthening maternal and paediatric healthcare services. The project’s inauguration had earlier been deferred, despite being slated for launch during PGI’s convocation ceremony. Officials say the centre will play a critical role in addressing specialised healthcare needs of women and children across the region.PU project nearing completion after 17 yrsThe visit will also mark the inauguration of the long-delayed multipurpose auditorium at Panjab University’s South Campus. Nearly 17 years after its foundation stone was laid by former PM Manmohan Singh in 2009, the auditorium is now nearing completion.With a seating capacity of around 2,200, the facility includes seminar halls, rehearsal rooms, green rooms, a VIP suite and a building management system. While Phase 1 of the project is close to completion, officials indicate that the remaining components of the complex may take another six months to be fully operational.The auditorium is expected to become a key venue for academic and cultural events and anchor PU’s broader South Campus expansion, which includes plans for a student centre, library and additional academic blocks.