New Delhi, March 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday that he would visit Assam and West Bengal in the next two days, attending various events and inaugurating development initiatives, which would provide a great opportunity to interact with the people of these two states.
Modi said that the 22nd installment of the PM-KISAN scheme would be released on Friday at a program in Guwahati, which is "very special", in addition to providing land rights to the families of 3.5 lakh tea garden workers.
"I will be in Assam and West Bengal over the next two days to attend events in Kokrajhar, Guwahati, Silchar, and Kolkata. These events will provide a wonderful opportunity to interact with the people of these states. Various development projects will also be inaugurated," he said in a series of posts on X.
The prime minister also said that, in addition, various projects like the Kopili Hydro-Electric Project and the NSPL Capacity Enhancement Project would be inaugurated.
He said that the foundation stone for the Furkating-Tinsukia rail line doubling project, cruise terminals at Bishwanath Ghat in Biswanath district, and Neamati in Jorhat district would also be laid.
"These, along with the other projects, will boost Assam's progress. I look forward to being in Kokrajhar, a place associated with the great Bodo culture," he said.
Modi said that the foundation stones would be laid for important road connectivity projects, including Assam Mala 3.0, which would significantly improve inter-state connectivity. He also announced the launch of three new train services: the Kamakhya-Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express, the Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Express, and the Narangi-Agartala Express.
"This is a historic step towards justice and dignity. I commend the NDA Government in Assam for this. We are proud of the hard work of the tea garden families and will always work to improve their well-being," he said, referring to the conferment of land rights to tea garden workers.
Prime Minister Modi will visit West Bengal on Saturday, during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth approximately INR 18,680 crore in Kolkata.
Both Assam and West Bengal will hold assembly elections in the coming months.
An official statement said that these initiatives "reflect the central government's continued commitment to strengthening infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, and accelerating economic growth in West Bengal and eastern India".
According to the statement, the prime minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for several national highway projects with a combined length of more than 420 km, worth approximately INR 16,990 crore, which will give a major boost to road infrastructure in the region.
The projects being inaugurated include sections of NH-19 in West Bengal and Jharkhand, and of NH-114 in West Bengal.
These projects are expected to enhance road safety, reduce travel time, ease congestion and pollution, improve regional connectivity, and promote tourism and boost economic growth in the region, the statement said.
Modi will lay the foundation stone for several new national highway projects.
The project is part of the economic corridor between Kharagpur and Siliguri, and will pass through the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Birbhum, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
Direct connectivity between Kharagpur and Morgram will reduce the travel distance by approximately 120 km and save nearly seven to eight hours of travel time. The corridor will also integrate with key national highways, including NH-16, NH-19, NH-14, and NH-12, thereby strengthening multi-corridor connectivity.
During the visit, the prime minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for several shipping and port-related projects. He will inaugurate the mechanization project of Berth number two at Haldia Dock Complex, which will enable efficient, faster, and environment-friendly cargo handling.
The project will enhance cargo handling capacity, facilitate efficient full-rake rail loading systems, improve key performance indicators, increase safety by reducing human exposure to hazardous operations, and generate employment.
Modi will also inaugurate the rejuvenation project at the Khidderpore Docks in Kolkata.
Other projects include the renovation of the Bascule Bridge at the Kolkata Dock System; yard development, including drainage systems, at Kidderpore Dock-I (East) and Dock-II (East); bank protection works along the Kolkata riverfront from the Howrah Bridge pylon to Nimtala Ghat, among others.
In the railways sector, the prime minister will flag off the Purulia-Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi) Express, strengthening rail connectivity among West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the National Capital Region.
During the visit, Modi will also inaugurate six redeveloped railway stations – Kamakhyaguri, Anara, Tamluk, Haldia, Barabhum, and Siuri – under the Amrit Station Scheme.
He will also dedicate to the nation two railway projects – the 16-km-long third rail line between Belda and Dantan, and the automatic block signalling system between Kalaikunda and Kanimohuli.
These projects will improve train safety and punctuality, reduce congestion, and enhance the overall ease of travel for passengers in the region.