Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to perform the Bhoomi Poojan for the Shillong–Silchar Corridor on Saturday, the first access-controlled Greenfield four-lane high-speed corridor in Northeast India.
According to officials, spanning 166 km and built at an estimated cost of around ₹22,860 crore, the project is expected to significantly enhance connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam.
Once completed, the corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar and cut travel time from the current 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours.
The improved connectivity is expected to boost economic activity, facilitate smoother movement of goods and people, and strengthen cross-border trade in the region.
The Prime Minister will also perform the Bhoomi Poojan for an Elevated Corridor on National Highway-306 in Silchar.
The proposed project will stretch from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point (Phase-I).
This elevated corridor is aimed at easing congestion along one of Silchar’s busiest traffic corridors and improving overall urban mobility.
The project is also expected to strengthen connectivity between Assam and neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, thereby contributing to the economic growth and development of the Barak Valley region.
In addition, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for a new College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Sribhumi district.
The proposed institution is expected to strengthen Assam’s agricultural education and research ecosystem.
It will provide students from the Barak Valley and adjoining regions access to quality agricultural education and modern research facilities closer to their homes, while also supporting innovation and skill development in the agriculture sector.
Earlier on Friday, PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth around ₹19,4800 crore in Guwahati.
He addressed a grand gathering in Guwahati, extending his heartfelt greetings to the people of the city. He also greeted the farmers joining from across the country, as well as the brothers and sisters working in tea gardens.
The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the privilege of being on the sacred land of Maa Kamakhya on the eve of Navratri.
“I have been blessed with the fortune of having your darshan on this pious land of Maa Kamakhya, just before Navratri begins,” said PM Modi.
He stated that with the blessings of Maa Kamakhya, the foundation stones and inaugurations of development projects worth ₹19,500 crore were carried out shortly.
PM Modi noted that Assam has received a vast array of projects, ranging from those aimed at making Assam self-reliant in the energy sector to works enhancing the convenience of people travelling to the state.
The Prime Minister stated that Assam is playing a significant role in fulfilling the nation’s renewable energy commitments.
PM Modi noted that the Lower Kopili Hydro Power Project will benefit not just Assam but the entire North East.
“These projects worth thousands of crores are creating new avenues of employment for Assam’s youth and are boosting the state’s prosperity,” asserted PM Modi.
(IANS)
