New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth around Rs 23,550 crore in Silchar in southern Assam, with a focus on boosting connectivity, strengthening agricultural education and accelerating infrastructure growth in the Barak Valley and the wider Northeast region.
The projects were launched during a public programme in Silchar in Cachar district, where the Prime Minister also performed the Bhoomi Poojan for several major infrastructure initiatives. Modi had arrived in Guwahati on Friday for a two-day visit to the state, during which he inaugurated and laid the foundation for projects worth around Rs 24,250 crore before travelling to Silchar the following morning.
A key highlight of the event was the foundation ceremony for the 166-kilometre Shillong–Silchar Corridor, the first access-controlled greenfield four-lane high-speed corridor in Northeast India. Built at an estimated cost of around Rs 22,860 crore, the expressway will connect Shillong in Meghalaya with Silchar in Assam, significantly improving regional connectivity.
According to officials, the corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar and cut travel time from about 8.5 hours to roughly five hours, facilitating faster movement of goods and passengers while promoting trade and economic growth in the region.
Addressing the gathering, Modi said the projects launched from Silchar would strengthen connectivity and improve the agricultural ecosystem in the region. “From Silchar, several projects aimed at strengthening connectivity and boosting the agricultural education ecosystem in the region are being launched,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the growing strategic and economic importance of the Northeast in India’s foreign and trade policy. “Today, the Northeast is at the center of India’s Act East Policy. It is becoming a bridge connecting India with Southeast Asia,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister also performed the Bhoomi Poojan for an elevated corridor on National Highway 306 from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar. The project is expected to decongest one of the city’s busiest routes and improve connectivity with neighbouring states, including Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, while boosting economic activity in the Barak Valley region.
In another initiative aimed at strengthening agricultural education, Modi laid the foundation stone for a new College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district. The institution is expected to enhance agricultural research and education infrastructure in southern Assam and provide students from the Barak Valley and neighbouring areas with improved access to higher education in agriculture.
Highlighting the role of farmers and plantation workers in the region, Modi said their contribution had been crucial to Assam’s development. “The farmers of the Barak Valley and the workers employed in the tea gardens here have made a very significant contribution to the development of Assam,” he said, adding that the “double-engine government is continuously taking steps for the welfare of farmers.”
The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of developing border regions and villages. “We consider the villages on the border as the country’s first villages,” he said. “Therefore, for the development of border areas, the next phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme was launched from Cachar district itself. This has also ensured that many villages in the Barak Valley will see improvements.”
As part of the broader infrastructure push, Modi also performed the Bhoomi Poojan for Asom Mala 3.0, a major road infrastructure programme worth over Rs 3,200 crore. The initiative will involve the construction of more than 900 kilometres of roads across Assam, aimed at improving inter-state connectivity and strengthening links between national highways and rural road networks.
The projects launched during the Prime Minister’s visit are expected to significantly enhance connectivity in the Northeast, improve access to education and create new opportunities for trade, tourism and regional economic development.
Following the Silchar programme, the Prime Minister was scheduled to depart for Kolkata to continue his engagements.
