Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 11,000 crores in Guwahati, Assam. The key focus areas in Guwahati include projects to boost sports and medical infrastructure and connectivity.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for being present in Assam today with the blessings of Maa Kamakhya to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 11,000 crores. He said that the development projects of today will boost Assam’s connectivity to the North Eastern states as well as neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia while also boosting employment in the tourism sector and creating new opportunities for sporting talents in the state. He also mentioned an expansion to the medical education and healthcare sector in the state owing to today’s development projects.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated the people of Assam and the North Eastern region for today’s development project and thanked the citizens of Guwahati for the warm reception when he arrived on Saturday evening.
Recalling his recent visits to multiple pilgrimage sites, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for arriving before Maa Kamakhya and laying the foundation stone of Maa Kamakhya Divya Lok Pariyojana. Throwing light on the concept and scope of the project, PM Modi informed that upon completion, it will further increase ease of access and comfort for the devotees while also giving a boost to the footfall.
“Assam will become the gateway to tourism in the North East with an increase in the footfall of devotees for Maa Kamakhya’s darshan”, the Prime Minister said as he lauded the efforts of the state government and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Highlighting the significance of Indian pilgrimage sites and temples, the Prime Minister emphasized that these places symbolize an indelible mark of our civilization over thousands of years. Noting the expansion of prominent educational institutes like IIT and IIM, he said earlier they used to be set up in big cities only. However, now a network of IITs, IIMs, and AIIMs has spread across the country with the total number of medical colleges in Assam, which earlier stood at 6, increasing to 12. He also asserted that the state will gradually become a hub for cancer treatment in the North East.
“Ease of living is the priority of the present government”, PM Modi remarked as he mentioned building 4 crore pucca houses for the poor, supplying tapped water connections, electricity, cooking gas connections under Ujjwala Yojna and construction of toilets under Swachh Bharat.
PM Modi underlined that the government’s focus on development along with heritage has massively benefitted the youth of India.
Prime Minister Modi said the government is giving special emphasis to the development of North Eastern states.
PM Modi informed that the government has increased the region’s development expenditure by 4 times.
“Modi’s guarantee means the guarantee of fulfillment”, the Prime Minister said as he mentioned guaranteeing basic facilities to the poor, women, youth, and farmers. He touched upon the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra and ‘Modi’s guarantee vehicle’ which is tasked with taking the benefits to those deprived of government schemes. “Around 20 crore people nationwide have directly participated in the Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra. A large number of people of Assam have also got its benefits”, he added.
He pointed out that the total infrastructure budget for Assam in the last 10 years before 2014 stood at Rs 12 lakh crore.
The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s emphasis in the last 10 years on electricity supply to each home. He informed about the decision taken in this year’s budget to reduce the electricity bills to zero with the initiation of the Rooftop Solar Scheme where the government will assist one crore families to install solar rooftops. “With this, their electricity bill will also be zero and ordinary families will be able to earn by generating electricity at their home”, he added.
Drawing attention to the guarantee of creating 2 crore Lakhpati Didi’s in the country, PM Modi informed that the number reached 1 crore last year and the target is now set at 3 crore Lakhpati Didi’s in this year’s budget. He said that lakhs of women from Assam will also benefit from this. He also touched upon new opportunities for all women associated with the self-help groups and the inclusion of Anganwadi and Asha workers in the Ayushman Scheme.
“Modi has the resolve to work day and night and fulfill the guarantees he provides”, the Prime Minister exclaimed, adding that the North East has faith in Modi’s guarantee.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of establishing targets and asserted that previous governments lacked objectives and failed to work hard. He envisions the North East developing similarly to East Asia, facilitating expanded connectivity in North and East Asia. Numerous roads in the state are set to be upgraded under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation, transforming the North East into a trade hub. The Prime Minister acknowledged the aspirations of the youth in the North East to witness their region’s development akin to East Asia, expressing his determination to turn this dream into reality.
The Prime Minister underlined that the goal of a happy and prosperous life for India and its citizens is the main reason behind all the development works being carried out today. “The goal is to make India the third largest economy in the world. The goal is Viksit Bharat 2047”, said the Prime Minister.
One of the key projects for which the foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister includes Maa Kamakhya Divya Pariyojana (Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor), which has been sanctioned under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) scheme. It will provide world-class amenities to pilgrims visiting the Kamakhya temple.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of multiple road upgradation projects worth over Rs. 3400 crore, under which 43 roads including 38 bridges will be upgraded as part of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Corridor Connectivity. The Prime Minister inaugurated two 4-laning projects, namely Dolabari to Jamuguri and Biswanath Chariali to Gohpur. These projects will help improve the connectivity to Itanagar and boost the overall economic development of the region.
To harness the tremendous sports potential of the region, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of projects to boost the sports infrastructure in the state. The projects include an international standards sports stadium in Chandrapur and the upgradation of Nehru stadium as a FIFA standard football stadium.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the development of infrastructure of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Further, the foundation stone for the development of a medical college at Karimganj was also laid by him.
