Guwahati: Narendra Modi will visit Assam on March 13 and 14 to inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore across Kokrajhar, Guwahati and Silchar, according to an official statement.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will perform Bhoomi Poojan, launch several infrastructure initiatives and flag off new train services aimed at strengthening connectivity and boosting economic development in the state.
The first programme will take place in Kokrajhar on Friday afternoon, where projects valued at over Rs 4,570 crore will be initiated. Among them is the Bhoomi Poojan for Assam Mala 3.0, a road infrastructure programme worth more than Rs3,200 crore that will involve the construction of over 900 kilometres of roads across the state.
The Prime Minister will also perform Bhoomi Poojan for six road projects in the Bodoland Territorial Council area, including four flyovers and two bridges, with an estimated investment of around Rs 1,100 crore. In addition, the foundation stone of a Periodic Overhauling workshop will be laid at Bashbari in Kokrajhar district to strengthen railway maintenance infrastructure in the region.
Three new train services will also be flagged off. These include the Kamakhya–Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express linking the Northeast with southern India, the Guwahati–New Jalpaiguri Express connecting Assam with West Bengal, and the Narangi–Agartala Express aimed at improving rail connectivity between Assam and Tripura.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will attend a programme in Guwahati where projects worth about Rs19,480 crore will be launched.
During the event, land pattas will be distributed to tea garden workers, providing homestead land rights to members of the tea garden community. The Prime Minister will also release the 22nd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, under which Rs 2,000 will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of more than 9.3 crore farmers across the country.
Among the major projects to be dedicated to the nation is the Kopili Hydro-Electric Project located in Dima Hasao and West Karbi Anglong districts, constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,300 crore.
The Prime Minister will also dedicate the capacity enhancement project of the Numaligarh–Siliguri Product Pipeline of Oil India Limited and inaugurate Phase 1 of the North East Gas Grid. In addition, the foundation stone for a rail-fed POL terminal of Numaligarh Refinery Limited will be laid at Panchgram in Hailakandi district.
Several railway electrification projects, including the Rangiya–Murkongselek and Chaparmukh–Dibrugarh sections as well as the Badarpur–Silchar and Badarpur–Churaibari lines, will also be dedicated to the nation. The foundation stone for the Furkating–Tinsukia rail line doubling project will also be laid.
In the waterways sector, foundation stones will be laid for cruise terminals at Bishwanath Ghat and Neamati, while the Regional Centre of Excellence for maritime training at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh will also be initiated. The approach road linking Pandu Jetty to NH-27 will be inaugurated.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the PM Ekta Mall in Guwahati, which is envisioned as a commercial and tourism hub showcasing One District One Product items, GI-tagged goods, handicrafts and handloom products.
On March 14, the Prime Minister will travel to Silchar where projects worth around Rs 23,550 crore will be launched.
These include the Bhoomi Poojan for the 166-km Shillong–Silchar corridor, described as the first access-controlled greenfield four-lane high-speed corridor in the Northeast. The project, estimated at about Rs22,860 crore, is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Guwahati and Silchar.
The Prime Minister will also perform Bhoomi Poojan for an elevated corridor on NH-306 in Silchar to ease congestion and improve connectivity with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur.
In addition, the foundation stone for a new College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district will be laid, aimed at strengthening agricultural education and research facilities in the Barak Valley region.