Prime Minister to visit Assam this month: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to lay the foundation stone of a bridge over the Brahmaputra – connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati – besides taking part in the site sanctification (bhoomi pujan) ceremony of the AIIMS at Amingaon in Guwahati this month.

Talking to the media outside the State Assembly on Friday, Sarma said: “The estimated cost of the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge is Rs 2,000 crore. The amount is going to be funded jointly by the State Government and New Development Bank. The State Government will have to bear 20 per cent of the cost. The tender for the bridge has already been floated.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is going to visit the Northeast on February 8 and 9. However, if the Prime Minister is going to attend the two functions in Guwahati during that visit or not has been decided as yet. “Even if the Prime Minister doesn’t attend the two functions in Guwahati during his February 8 and 9 NE visit, he’s certain to lay the foundation stone of the bridge and attend the site sanctification ceremony of the AIIMS in February,” Sarma said.

When asked if the Prime Minister is going to attend the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha conference slated for this month in Morigaon, Sarma said: “The Prime Minister has been invited to the conference. The PMO, Dispur and the Sangha have been keeping in touch on this issue. However, the decision is yet to be taken.”

Meanwhile, a helipad is also under construction in Morigaon in this connection. The PM has been invited to attend the last open session of the conference on February 9.

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