Silchar , 14 March (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several development projects worth approximately ₹23,550 crore in Assam's Silchar. During the event, he performed the groundbreaking for the Shillong-Silchar High-Speed Corridor among other key initiatives, stating that these projects will help transform Barak Valley into a major logistics and trading hub for Northeast India.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister accused the Congress of neglecting the Northeast for years and pushing Assam's youth toward violence and terrorism.
The Prime Minister conducted the bhoomi pujan for the 166-km-long Shillong-Silchar High-Speed Corridor, estimated at ₹22,860 crore. This will be Northeast India's first access-controlled greenfield four-lane high-speed corridor. Upon completion, connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam will see a marked improvement, reducing travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from about 8.5 hours to roughly five hours. He remarked that this project is not merely a highway but the culmination of decades-long aspirations for the Northeast's people.
The Prime Minister stated that this corridor will enhance connectivity for states like Silchar, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura. It will boost trade with Bangladesh and Myanmar through these states, accelerating economic growth across the entire Northeast region. Farmers, industries, and the tourism sector will reap substantial benefits as well.
PM Modi also performed the groundbreaking for an elevated corridor (Phase-1) from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point on NH-306 in Silchar. This project will alleviate traffic congestion on the city's busy roads and improve links with neighboring states like Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur. It will play a pivotal role in Barak Valley's economic advancement.
Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for a new agricultural college in Patharkandi, Karimganj district. This institution will strengthen Assam's ecosystem for agricultural education and research, providing local students from Barak Valley and surrounding areas access to high-quality training near home. He noted that it will foster agriculture-based startups and innovation.
In his address, the Prime Minister described Barak Valley as a confluence of history, culture, and enterprise, playing a crucial role in linking not just Assam but the entire Northeast and West Bengal. He emphasized that these road, rail, and education projects mark a significant step toward establishing Barak Valley as the Northeast's premier logistics and trade hub, creating myriad employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth.
Lashing out at Congress,PM Modi said that despite holding power for decades after Independence, Congress governments kept the Northeast distant from Delhi both geographically and emotionally. He accused them of depriving the region of development and weakening Barak Valley's economic prowess.
He pointed out that upon Independence, Congress allowed borders to be drawn that severed Barak Valley's sea access, harming its commercial growth. The Prime Minister stated that the BJP's double engine government is now swiftly working to reverse this situation.
In a sharp jibe,PM Modi quipped that if handed pen and paper to write ₹24,000 crore, Congress leaders might struggle to string together even that many zeros. Where Congress's thinking ends, BJP's work begins.
The Prime Minister articulated that BJP's core mantra is to prioritize those left behind in the race for development. Congress regimes viewed border areas as the country's last villages, whereas BJP treats them as the first. In line with this vision, the next phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme commenced from Kachar district.
PM Modi alleged that Congress ensnared Assam's youth in cycles of violence and terrorism through a divide and rule policy. He asserted that today, Assam's youth face an open sky of opportunities, with the state surging ahead on the path of development.
Referencing global tensions, the Prime Minister noted war-like conditions in parts of the world, with the Centre making every possible effort to minimize their impact on citizens. At such a time, Congress should have acted as a responsible party but is instead attempting to spread fear and panic nationwide.
PM Modi remarked that Congress is repeatedly losing elections and is on the verge of hitting a century of defeats in the near future. He accused the party, in its frustration over losses, of trying to tarnish India's image.
The Prime Minister concluded that these road, rail, and education initiatives will infuse new momentum into Barak Valley and the broader Northeast's development, positioning the region as a future powerhouse for trade, industry, and jobs.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
