Assam: PM Modi launches expressway, infra projects worth Rs 23,550 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled projects worth Rs 23,550 crore in Silchar town in Assam ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

During the visit, Modi took part in the ‘bhoomi poojan’ for the Rs 22,864-crore access-controlled expressway connecting Silchar in Cachar district with Shillong in Meghalaya. Officials said the project will be the first access-controlled expressway of its kind in the Northeast.

The 166-km four-lane greenfield high-speed corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar from 295 km to 252 km. Officials said the project will cut travel time between the two cities from about 8.5 hours to around five hours.

The prime minister also took part in the ‘bhoomi poojan’ for an elevated corridor on National Highway-306. The project will run from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar and will be constructed at a cost of Rs 565 crore.

Officials said the corridor is expected to ease congestion on one of Silchar’s busiest roads and improve connectivity with neighbouring states including Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur. The project is also expected to support economic activity in the Barak Valley region.

In addition, Modi laid the foundation stone for a Rs 122-crore College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district.

These initiatives form part of projects worth Rs 47,800 crore that the prime minister unveiled in Assam since Friday.

Assembly elections in Assam are expected to be held in April, with the ruling BJP-led NDA seeking a third consecutive term in power.