New Delhi, 18 January (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will culminate his dynamic two-day itinerary across Assam and West Bengal on Sunday, January 18, by spearheading groundbreaking infrastructure ventures that fuse ecological stewardship, rail innovation, and waterway modernization, all designed to accelerate connectivity and economic vitality in India's eastern frontier.

In Assam, PM Modi will commence proceedings at approximately 11 AM in Kaliabor, Nagaon district, with the bhoomi pujan for the ₹6,950-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project on the Kaliabor-Numaligarh stretch of NH-715. This 86-km marvel incorporates a 35-km elevated wildlife corridor traversing Kaziranga National Park, a 21-km bypass segment, and 30 km of highway expansion from two to four lanes across Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, and Golaghat districts.

Engineered for biodiversity preservation, it will facilitate unimpeded animal migrations, mitigate human-wildlife clashes, bolster road safety, trim travel durations and mishaps, and accommodate escalating traffic while linking to Upper Assam gateways like Dibrugarh and Tinsukia; bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat will further alleviate urban bottlenecks and elevate resident welfare.

Concurrently, the Prime Minister will flag off two pristine Amrit Bharat Express trains—the Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak and Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar)—fortifying seamless rail corridors between the Northeast and northern plains for enhanced passenger safety and convenience.

Turning to West Bengal, PM Modi will descend upon Singur in Hooghly district around 3 PM to inaugurate, lay foundation stones for, and flag off projects surpassing ₹830 crore. Foremost among them stands the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, encompassing a 900-acre cargo terminal with 2.7 million tonnes per annum capacity, dual jetties for containerized and dry bulk freight, an Inland Water Transport terminal, and a road-over-bridge.

This initiative will divert cumbersome cargo from Kolkata's overburdened routes, curbing congestion, emissions, and hazards while delivering economical logistics to industries, MSMEs, and agrarian sectors, alongside spawning jobs in operations, transport, and upkeep.

He will likewise commission a vanguard Electric Catamaran in Kolkata—one of six homegrown units from Cochin Shipyard—boasting 50-passenger capacity, lithium-titanate batteries, and dual electric-hybrid propulsion for zero-emission urban mobility, eco-tourism, and Hooghly last-mile links.

Rail advancements will feature the inauguration of the Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur line within the Tarkeshwar–Bishnupur framework, coupled with a fresh Maynapur–Jayrambati service halting at Barogopinathpur, granting Bankura denizens direct, economical transit for daily wage earners, scholars, and devotees.

PM Modi will additionally dispatch three Amrit Bharat Express trains: Kolkata (Howrah)–Anand Vihar Terminal, Kolkata (Sealdah)–Banaras, and Kolkata (Santragachi)–Tambaram.

Yesterday, on January 17 in Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium, PM Modi enthralled crowds at the epochal Bagurumba Dwhou 2026, where over 10,000 Bodo artists from 81 assembly segments spanning 23 districts synchronized the nature-evoking Bagurumba dance—emblematic of floral blooms, avian grace, and human-nature symbiosis, traditionally led by women with male percussionists in circular or linear formations, emblematic of peace, fertility, and harmony during Bwisagu and Domasi festivals.

In his stirring address, he extolled Bodo luminaries like Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma and Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma, credited the 2020 Peace Accord with ending strife and mainstreaming youth via rehabilitation and ₹1,500-crore packages, lambasted opposition for abetting infiltrators and neglect, spotlighted strides like Bodo language elevation, Bathou Puja holiday, medical colleges in Kokrajhar and Tamulpur, and Kokrajhar–Gelephu rail under Act East, while affirming Assam's youth as cultural vanguard fueling national ascent amid dignitaries including Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar