PM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR RS 6,957-CR KAZIRANGA CORRIDOR, FLAGS OFF 2 AMRIT BHARAT TRAINS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the Congress, accusing the party of handing over Assam’s land to infiltrators for votes during its rule in the northeastern state.
Modi, while addressing a rally here on the second day of his visit to poll-bound Assam, said infiltration “kept increasing” during the Congress rule in the state for decades, with illegal immigrants “encroaching upon forests, animal corridors and traditional institutions”.
“The BJP government is protecting Assam’s identity and culture by evicting infiltrators who encroached land,’’ he asserted.
“Infiltrators are disturbing the demographic balance, attacking culture, snatching jobs from the poor and youth, and fraudulently occupying land in tribal areas, posing a grave threat to both Assam and the nation’s security,’’ the PM said.
He warned people to remain vigilant of the Congress, as its “only policy is to protect infiltrators and gain power”.
“The Congress and its allies are following this approach across the country, and during the Bihar polls, they organised marches and rallies to shield infiltrators, but people there completely rejected them. The people of Assam, too, will give a strong response to them,’’ Modi asserted.
The Prime Minister said that the Congress has lost the trust of people as it gives a “message of negative politics’’, and now, the BJP is the ‘’first choice” of voters in the country.
“Voters trust the BJP for good governance and development. In the Bihar polls, people gave the party record votes and seats even after 20 years in power,” he said. In the Maharashtra civic polls, too, people voted for the BJP and even in Kerala, ‘’we now have a mayor from the party’’, Modi said.
“Just two days ago, the results of mayoral and councillor elections in major cities of Maharashtra were declared. Mumbai, one of the largest municipal corporations in the world, gave the BJP a record mandate for the first time, while people in most cities of the state have given us an opportunity to serve,’’ he said.
“The recent election results across the country clearly show that voters want good governance and development, with focus on both progress and heritage,” the PM said.
These elections also send another message that the country is consistently rejecting the “negative politics” of the opposition party, he said.
“The opposition lost the trust of the nation because it has no agenda for development, and such a party can never serve the interests of Assam or Kaziranga,’’ he asserted.
The PM said Kaziranga is not just a national park, but the “soul of Assam and a priceless jewel of India’s biodiversity, recognised by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site’’.
Modi was speaking at the rally in Nagaon district, after laying the foundation stone for the Rs 6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, and virtually flagging off two Amrit Bharat trains.
Noting that Kaziranga is home to the one-horned rhinoceros, he said the wildlife faces challenges during floods when they seek higher ground and must cross the national highways, and often get trapped.
“The government is committed to ensure smooth traffic while keeping the forest safe. After the completion of the elevated corridor, vehicles will pass above while wildlife movement below will remain unhindered, with the design prepared keeping in mind traditional movement routes of rhinos, elephants and tigers,’’ Modi said.
The corridor will also improve connectivity between Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and along with new rail services, will open fresh opportunities for the people.
Modi asserted that the BJP government’s efforts ensured that no rhino was killed due to poaching at the Kaziranga National Park in 2025. There was a time when rhino poaching was a major concern, with dozens of one-horned rhinos killed in 2013 and 2014, but the BJP government decided to strengthen security arrangements, provide modern resources to the forest department, enhance surveillance, and increase women’s participation through ‘Van Durga’, he said.
‘’India has shown to the world that both ecology and economy can march together,’’ Modi said.
The PM said when nature is protected, opportunities arise and Kaziranga has seen a steady rise in tourism in recent years, and local youth have found new sources of income through homestays, guide services, transport, handicrafts and small businesses.
The northeast has for decades faced the pain of distance – both of hearts and location – with people believing that development was happening elsewhere and they were being left behind, which affected not only the economy but also trust, the PM said.
‘’The BJP governments at the Centre and states have changed this sentiment by prioritising the development of the northeast, and we began simultaneously to connect Assam through roadways, railways, airways and waterways,’’ he said.
Modi alleged that when the Congress was in power at the Centre, Assam received only about Rs 2,000 crore in the rail budget, but his government increased it more than five times to nearly Rs 10,000 crore annually.
‘’This enhanced investment has led to large-scale infrastructure development, with new rail lines, doubling and electrification boosting railway capacity and passenger facilities,’’ he said.
Assam’s development is opening up opportunities for the entire northeast, and the Act East Policy has got a new direction, which will take the region to new heights, the PM stated.
Kaziranga Elevated Corridor to be milestone in Assam’s development journey: Himanta
Kaliabor (Assam), Jan 18 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the state had reached a historic milestone in its development journey with the foundation stone laying of the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project seeks to improve connectivity between Central and Upper Assam and ensure the protection of the rich biodiversity of the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the one-horned rhinoceros.
It was once unimaginable that a Prime Minister would approve funds of nearly Rs 7,000 crore to build a 35-km-long elevated corridor through Kaziranga solely to protect wildlife, the chief minister said in his address during the PM’s visit here to launch development projects in Nagaon district.
‘’This is an unprecedented gift, and the PM had personally come to Kaliabor to present it to the people of Assam. This will give a major boost to Assam’s development while prioritising environmental conservation and wildlife protection,” Sarma said. The PM on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor and four-laning of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh section of National Highway 715 along with virtually flagging off two Amrit Bharat Express trains. The initiative includes the construction of a 35-km-long elevated corridor through Kaziranga and upgradation of the Kaliabor–Numaligarh stretch of NH-715, with an estimated investment of around Rs 6,957 crore.
Implemented in accordance with directions of the Supreme Court and recommendations of the Wildlife Institute of India, the project will ensure safe movement of wildlife and significantly reduce road accidents.
Passing through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts, the corridor is expected to bring a transformative change in connectivity across Upper Assam and is expected to be completed within 36 months.
Sarma said the two Amrit Bharat Express trains virtually flagged off by the Prime Minister will significantly strengthen rail connectivity between the North-East and North India.
The Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar Amrit Bharat Express will cover a distance of 1,894 km in about 42 hours, improving connectivity between Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The Kamakhya-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express will cover 1,956 km in about 38 hours, benefiting rail passengers from Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana with safer and faster travel.
Sarma pointed out that according to legends, Lord Krishna had rested at Kaliabor while taking Rukmini of Assam to Dwarka in Gujarat.
The PM’s presence on the sacred land symbolised the reaffirmation of the historic bond between Assam and Gujarat, he added.
Sarma said that a day earlier at Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium, more than 10,000 artistes showcased the vibrant Bodo culture through Bagurumba dance performance, taking Assam’s cultural heritage to the global stage.
‘’It was under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership that the state secured a semiconductor industry, a bio-refinery and one of the country’s largest fertiliser plants, besides achieving UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Charaideo, classical language status for Assamese, and installation of a grand statue of Lachit Borphukan, marking the rise of a new and confident Assam,’’ he said.
The chief minister said the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor would reduce travel time between Upper Assam and Guwahati by at least one hour, strengthen connectivity and further reinforce the foundation of a stronger Assam.
‘’Assam now dreams big, and these will be realised despite opposition and misinformation,’’ he added.
Referring to the flagging off of the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Guwahati and Kolkata a day earlier, Sarma said that with the inauguration of two Amrit Bharat Express services, Assam had received three major rail services in just two days.
The CM also noted that projects such as multiple bridges over the Brahmaputra, medical colleges in almost every district, new universities, the Numaligarh-Gohpur tunnel road, the Kaziranga elevated corridor, the Rs 22,000 crore Silchar-Guwahati corridor and the Guwahati Ring Road once seemed unimaginable.
‘’Assam has now entered a new horizon of development and would never forget the Prime Minister’s contribution in steering the state on the path of progress and taking the Assamese language, Bihu, Jhumoir, Bagurumba and the State’s cultural heritage to the world,’’ he said.
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Union Minister for Ports, Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, state ministers Atul Bora, Charan Boro, Krishnendu Paul and Keshab Mahanta and senior officials were present on the occasion.