Silchar : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Assam’s Barak Valley on March 14 to inaugurate the ?22,000-crore Guwahati-Silchar expressway, a flagship infrastructure project expected to significantly cut travel time between the two cities.

The announcement was made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Silchar on Thursday.

According to the Chief Minister, the high-speed corridor will reduce travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from more than eight hours to approximately four-and-a-half hours, providing a major boost to connectivity between the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley.

Sarma said the tendering process for the expressway has been completed and necessary clearances have been secured. “Wildlife board clearance has been obtained, and land acquisition has also progressed well. Construction of roads will begin soon,” he stated.

The project is being seen as a transformative initiative for southern Assam, with expectations that it will enhance trade, logistics and passenger movement across the region.

During his visit, the Prime Minister is also slated to inaugurate the long-awaited Silchar flyover, a key urban infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion in the town. The flyover has been under construction for several years and is expected to improve intra-city mobility once operational.

In another significant development, Sarma disclosed that the proposed greenfield airport in Silchar has received environmental clearance. The next step, he said, would be obtaining approval from the State Cabinet.

“Now, it will need approval of the State Cabinet. Time is less now, but we will try to start the process by March. If it is not possible, then it will happen after the Assembly elections,” the Chief Minister said.

The Prime Minister’s visit comes ahead of the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, due in a few months. Sarma indicated that the announcement of BJP candidates for the polls is likely to take place after Modi’s Barak Valley tour.

The expressway, flyover inauguration and progress on the proposed airport are being projected as part of a broader infrastructure push in southern Assam, with the State government highlighting connectivity and development as key priorities in the run-up to the elections.

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II) from Nathanpur in Cachar district, asserting that India’s border habitations would be transformed into the “first and finest villages” of the country.

Addressing a large public gathering in Barak Valley, Shah described the initiative as a strategic national mission aimed at accelerating development in border areas while strengthening national security.

“Border villages are no longer India’s last villages; they are India’s first villages. From this sacred land, we begin a journey to make them number one in connectivity, education, healthcare, employment and overall development,” he said.

The second phase of the programme will cover nearly 2,000 villages across more than 330 strategically significant border blocks in 17 states and Union Territories adjoining Pakistan and Bangladesh, with an estimated outlay of around ?7,000 crore.

In Assam, 140 villages across 26 blocks in nine border districts – including Cachar, Sribhumi, Dhubri, South Salmara, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Tamulpur and Udalguri – are set to benefit under the initiative.

Shah outlined the broad scope of the project, stating that it would ensure all-weather roads, uninterrupted electricity, mobile connectivity, piped drinking water, enhanced healthcare outreach, improved educational infrastructure and livelihood opportunities in border areas.

“Our aim is clear – zero migration from border villages, zero infiltration into the country and zero disparity between border and mainland regions. People living in these areas should feel secure and proud, and never think of leaving their homes,” he said.

The Home Minister stressed that development in frontier regions was intrinsically linked to national security. He maintained that economic empowerment and improved infrastructure would make border communities more resilient against infiltration as well as recurring natural disasters such as floods.

Shah also said that the present government had taken decisive measures to seal infiltration routes and reclaim encroached land in Assam. “Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, lakhs of bighas of encroached land have been freed. Security and development go hand in hand. A secure Assam means a secure India,” he remarked.

Referring to Assam’s chronic flood problem, Shah endorsed the state government’s roadmap to make Assam flood-free within five years. He said the Brahmaputra river would be scientifically managed through reservoirs, modern embankments and irrigation networks.

“The water that once caused destruction will now irrigate farmers’ fields, fill reservoirs and promote tourism and economic growth. Flood control will now be a long-term and transformative effort,” he said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also addressed the gathering, said the programme would ensure essential services such as electricity, drinking water, mobile connectivity, roads, schools and health facilities in remote border villages.

He added that nearly ?6,000 crore would be invested in infrastructure and welfare initiatives in Assam under the programme. Sarma urged residents of border areas not to migrate to cities, emphasising that enhanced development and security measures would protect both livelihoods and land rights.

The launch of VVP-II in Barak Valley is being seen as part of a broader push to reinforce infrastructure, security and socio-economic growth in Assam’s sensitive border regions.

Know More