Launch projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore
KRC TIMES Assam Bureau
Guwahati : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Assam beginning March 13, during which he is scheduled to inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones for multiple development projects across the state worth over Rs 32,000 crore.
Announcing the itinerary after a state Cabinet meeting, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Prime Minister’s tour will include visits to Kokrajhar, Guwahati and Silchar, covering a range of infrastructure, power and welfare initiatives.
“The Prime Minister will arrive in Kokrajhar on March 13 where he will dedicate and lay the foundation stone for several projects specifically meant for the region,” Sarma said while briefing reporters.
Later in the evening, Modi will travel to Guwahati to participate in a series of programmes, including the release of an instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.
According to the Chief Minister, one of the key highlights of the Guwahati event will be the launch of a major initiative aimed at granting land rights to tea garden communities in the state.
“Tea garden communities have been living in Assam for nearly 200 years, yet many of them have not received land rights till today. During this visit, the Prime Minister will hand over the first land patta to a deserving tea garden worker,” Sarma said.
He added that the symbolic distribution by the Prime Minister would mark the beginning of a wider programme to grant land ownership certificates to eligible families residing in tea estates across Assam.
“Following the symbolic distribution, the land ownership distribution programme will be rolled out across the state so that tea garden families can finally receive legal rights over the land they have been living on for generations,” the Chief Minister said.
During the Guwahati programme, the Prime Minister will also dedicate the 150 MW Kopili Hydropower Project to the nation. In addition, development projects worth around Rs 10,000 crore will be inaugurated or dedicated during the event.
On March 14, Modi is scheduled to travel to Silchar where he will lay the foundation stone for the proposed Silchar-Guwahati Expressway. According to Sarma, the expressway will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 22,000 crore and is expected to significantly improve connectivity between the Barak Valley and the rest of the state.
“The Silchar-Guwahati expressway will reduce travel time and strengthen economic integration within the state,” he said. The Chief Minister also informed that the Prime Minister will address three major public meetings during the visit at different locations across Assam.
“There will be three public meetings where the Prime Minister will interact with people and highlight the development initiatives being undertaken in the state,” Sarma said. Following the programmes in Silchar, Modi will depart for Kolkata, concluding his two-day visit to Assam.
