PM Modi to visit Assam on March 13–14, launch projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore

Guwahati, March 11: 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 stone for multiple development projects across the State, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday.

Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Sarma said the Prime Minister’s visit will cover Kokrajhar, Guwahati and Silchar, with development initiatives spanning infrastructure, power and welfare schemes.

“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.

Later in the evening, the Prime Minister will travel to Guwahati, where he will participate in multiple programmes, including the release of an instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

According to the Chief Minister, the highlight of the Guwahati programme will be the launch of a major initiative to provide 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 event will mark the beginning of a larger programme to distribute land ownership certificates to eligible families residing in tea estates across Assam.

“Following the symbolic distribution by the Prime Minister, 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,” he said.

During the Guwahati event, the Prime Minister will also dedicate the Kopili Hydropower Project, a 150 MW project implemented by the Assam government, to the nation. In addition, development projects worth around Rs 10,000 crore will be inaugurated or dedicated.

On March 14, Modi will travel to Silchar where he is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Silchar–Guwahati Expressway.

“The Silchar–Guwahati expressway will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22,000 crore and will significantly improve connectivity between Barak Valley and the rest of Assam,” Sarma said, adding that the project is expected to reduce travel time and strengthen economic integration within the State.

The Chief Minister further informed that the Prime Minister will address public meetings in three different locations during the visit.

“There will be three major public meetings in different parts of Assam during the visit, 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, the Prime Minister will leave for Kolkata, concluding his two-day tour of Assam.