Assam’s biggest festival, Rongali Bihu, will be more colourful this year with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the state to celebrate the Assamese New Year.
PM Modi will also shower ‘gifts’ worth ₹8,500 crores as he will launch a range of projects during his day-long visit to the state on April 14, Assam Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
PM Modi will begin his visit by inaugurating the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Guwahati, which is being constructed at an expenditure of ₹1,123 crore. The facility, which is 85 per cent complete, will have a 750-bed hospital and 100 MBBS seats.
PM Modi will also virtually inaugurate three medical colleges constructed by the state government in Nalbari, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar, with each facility featuring 500 beds and 100 MBBS seats.
The hospitals at Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar were made at a cost of ₹615 crores, ₹560 crores and ₹535 crores respectively, CM Sarma said.
PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a research hospital to be developed jointly by the Assam government and IIT Guwahati, with an initial investment of ₹600 crore. The project will be located on the IIT Guwahati campus.
During his visit, PM Modi will also distribute health cards to 1.1 crore people, who will be covered for ₹5 lakhs every year.
PM Modi will then travel to Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra to address the closing ceremony of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Gauhati High Court. Afterwards, he will inaugurate three projects virtually at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.
One of the most significant projects that PM Modi will inaugurate is the Palasbari-Sualkuchi bridge over the Brahmaputra. The bridge will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹3,197 crore over the next 3-4 years, with all necessary clearances already in place, CM Sarma announced.
PM Modi will kickstart the ₹100-crore beautification work of the Rang Ghar in the historic Sivsasagar district. “We have already acquired the land for this purpose,” CM Sarma said.
The ‘Rang Ghar’, an amphitheatre, was built by King Promotta Singha. This two-storied oval-shaped pavilion in Sivasagar is one of the largest of its kind in Asia.
PM Modi will also inaugurate a methanol plant at Namrup with a 500 TPD capacity constructed at an investment of ₹1,709 crore. The plant is a joint venture between the Assam government and Oil India, with 51 per cent and 49 per cent stakes, respectively.
The day will end with the largest Bihu dance ever staged, featuring 11,010 dancers and drummers. PM Modi will witness the 15-minute performance, which aims to set a new Guinness World Record.
In his address to the public at the stadium, Modi is expected to emphasize the importance of the projects and their potential to transform the region. Afterwards, he will return to New Delhi.