PM Modi to visit Barak Valley on March 14, lay foundation for Rs 22,000 Cr Expressway
The proposed high-speed corridor is expected to connect the Barak Valley directly with Guwahati in approximately four and a half hours.
A file image of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma with PM Narendra Modi
Silchar, Feb 20: With an aim to fast-track two major infrastructure projects in the Barak Valley, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the region on March 14 to lay the foundation stones.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of inaugurating a cement plant, the Chief Minister said one of the flagship projects is the ambitious Panchgram to Barapani (Silchar–Shillong) Express Highway.
The proposed high-speed corridor is expected to connect the Barak Valley directly with Guwahati in approximately four and a half hours.
“Through this expressway, we will be able to reach Guwahati in 4.5 hours. The tender process has been completed, clearance from the Wildlife Board has been obtained, and land acquisition is progressing significantly. Road construction will now begin,” Sarma said.
With a sanctioned outlay of Rs 22,000 crore, the landmark project is expected to dramatically enhance connectivity between the Barak Valley and the wider Northeast corridor.
Describing the expressway as a “game-changing intervention,” Sarma said the project would ensure all-weather connectivity, addressing long-standing disruptions caused by landslides and monsoon-related blockages along existing hill routes.
The Chief Minister further stated that during the visit, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the much-awaited flyover in Silchar, aimed at easing rising traffic congestion in the city and improving urban mobility.
Responding to queries on whether the Prime Minister would also lay the foundation stone for the proposed greenfield airport at Doloo, the Chief Minister said the state received Environmental Clearance on February 19.
“We received environmental clearance yesterday. The proposal will now go to the Cabinet for approval. We will make every effort to clear it by March; if not, it will be taken up after the elections in April,” Sarma said.
Sarma asserted that the next five years would witness unprecedented infrastructure expansion across both the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, positioning Assam as a strategic growth hub in eastern India.