Surat, Oct 14 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually lay the foundation stone of a boys' hostel on the outskirts of Surat city of Gujarat on Friday, said an office-bearer of Saurashtra Patel Seva Samaj that will construct the facility.

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The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also announced that Modi will perform the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony of Hostel Phase-1 (Boys' Hostel) in Surat at 11 am via video-conferencing.

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"The PM will perform the virtual bhoomi poojan for our upcoming hostel facility for Patidar boys. In phase-I, a hostel for 1,000 male students of Patidar community will be built near Valak village on the outskirts of Surat city," said Kanji Bhalala, president of Saurashtra Patel Seva Samaj, a prominent Patidar community outfit in Surat.

"In phase-II, we will build a women's hostel having a capacity to accommodate 500 girl students. The construction of the women's hostel may begin next year," he added.

The PMO statement said that Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also remain present at the event, to be held near Valak village on Varachha-Kamrej road.

Giving details about the Saurashtra Patel Seva Samaj, the PMO said, "It is a registered trust established in 1983 whose main objective is educational and social transformation of weaker sections of the society. It helps in preparing students for various competitive exams and also provides them with a platform for entrepreneurship and skill development."

Bhalala said the boys' hostel will have a large auditorium, a digital gallery showcasing the history of Patidar community and its leaders, and a library, which can be accessed by students of all castes.

The building will also have a centre to provide guidance about various government schemes and scholarships, such as widow pension and financial assistance to study abroad, he added.

"This hostel will mostly cater to the students who are preparing for professional courses, such as CA, and for competitive exams, such as UPSC. Apart from providing residential facilities, we will also provide them coaching through experts. So, this will also serve as a coaching centre," Bhalala said.

While a nominal fee will be charged from the students for boarding, lodging and coaching, the trust will not charge anything from the girl students, he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)