Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Mizoram on Saturday to inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang broad gauge railway line and flag off the first Rajdhani Express between Aizawl and Delhi and other new trains, an official said.
This will be Modi’s second visit to the northeastern state since he became the prime minister in 2014, he said.
Modi visited Mizoram in December 2017 during which he commissioned the 60-megawatt Tuirial hydroelectric project near Saipum village in north Mizoram’s Kolasib district near the Assam border.
The prime minister is expected to arrive at the Lengpui airport at 9 am on Saturday, and then he will take a helicopter to fly to Aizawl’s Thuampui helipad, the official said.
Modi will address a public meeting at Aizawl’s Lammual at 10 am, during which he will inaugurate the Bairabi-Sairang railway line and flag off Rajdhani train service between Aizawl and Delhi and two other new trains between Aizawl-Kolkata and Aizawl-Guwahati, he said.
The PM will also open two education institutions and lay foundation stones for six projects of the Centre during his visit, he said.
From Mizoram, the PM will fly to Manipur, his first visit since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023, after inaugurating the Bairabi-Sairang railway line in Aizawl on the same day, the official said.
Security has been beefed up across Mizoram ahead of the PM’s visit.
Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) H Ramthlengliana said that all police units across the state have been placed on high alert, and elaborate security arrangements were made in the state capital Aizawl.
Apart from state police, two companies each of Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed to maintain law and order during the PM’s visit to Aizawl, he said.
The government also placed elaborate traffic management in Aizawl, enforcing ‘no parking’ and ‘no plying’ in certain zones and stretches where the PM’s entourage will move.
The Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) has also asked residents to close all roadside shops, private offices, and street vending along the road the PM’s convoy will pass.
The state government has instructed students and all government employees posted in Aizawl to attend the public meeting at Lammual.
The government has also appealed to the general public to attend the public meeting in large numbers.
The 51.38-km-long Bairabi-Sairang broad gauge railway line project is part of the Centre’s Act East policy, which aims at boosting connectivity and economic integration across the Northeast region.
The new railway line will link Aizawl with Assam’s Silchar town and then the rest of the country and will bring Mizoram within the fold of India’s railway network for the first time.
The project sanctioned in 2008-2009 was executed by the NF Railway at the cost of Rs. 8,213.72 crore.
Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in 2014, and its construction was completed within 10 years, starting from 2015.
Previously, Bairabi in Kolasib district on the Mizoram-Assam border was the only railhead in Mizoram.
The Bairabi – Sairang line railway project is an engineering marvel of the Indian Railways.
The railway line passes through 48 tunnels, 55 major bridges, and 87 minor bridges. The total length of tunnels is over 12.8 km, which is 25 per cent of the railway track, according to NF Railway officials.
Bridge no-144 near Sairang railway station, which rises to 114 metres, is the tallest pier railway bridge in the country and is 42 metres taller than the Qutub Minar, they said.
Once operational, the new line will cut travel time between Aizawl and Guwahati from 16 hours by road to just 12 hours by train and between Aizawl and Silchar from nearly 7 hours by road to just 3 hours, they said.
Apart from improving connectivity, the new railway line will also enhance passenger and freight movement, boost socio-economic and tourism growth, generate new employment, and fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people of Mizoram, according to NF Railway officials.
The Bairabi-Sairang railway line was commissioned by the NF Railway in early June after it passed a safety inspection.
PM to to meet IDPs, inaugurate Rs 8,500 cr worth projects in Manipur
Imphal, Sep 12 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur on September 13, his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out two years ago, and will interact with internally displaced people in Churachandpur and Imphal, besides inaugurating development projects worth Rs 8,500 crore.
The Prime Minister’s visit, which was officially confirmed by Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel on Friday, comes amid repeated criticism by opposition parties for not visiting Manipur following the ethnic strife between the Kuki and Meitei communities, which has left over 260 people dead and thousands homeless since May 2023.
Addressing a press conference here, the chief secretary asserted that peace is “not only the absence of violence but also the presence of trust, harmony and reconciliation”.
“Thus, the visit of the Prime Minister to Manipur will pave the way to peace, normalcy, and accelerated growth in the state. The Prime Minister will be arriving in Manipur on September 13 from Aizawl,” he said.
Modi will interact with internally displaced people in Churachandpur and Imphal, and address two rallies during his visit to the state, he said.
In a release, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said, “In line with his commitment to inclusive, sustainable and holistic development of Manipur, the PM will lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore at Churachandpur.”
Modi will also inaugurate multiple development projects worth more than Rs 1,200 crore at Imphal, it said.
Reacting to the announcement of Modi’s visit, the Congress claimed that the trip, instead of providing a force for peace and harmony, is actually going to be a “farce”.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said, “So now it is official. The PM will spend less than 3 hours in Manipur tomorrow. This visit, instead of providing a force for peace and harmony, is actually going to be a farce”.
Manipur Congress president Keisham Meghachandra also alleged that Modi’s visit to the ethnic violence-hit state is “merely symbolic”, and “not aimed at bringing peace and ensuring justice”.
During his press conference, Goel said the state government appreciates the efforts of the people of Manipur, both in the hills and valley, for “successfully moving forward to restore peace and normalcy” in Manipur.
“The joint efforts of all the stakeholders have brought stability and security slowly but stealthily in the state”, he added.
Manipur has been under the President’s Rule since February, following the resignation of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
Goel also said, “Manipur is not just a border state but a central pillar of India’s Act East Policy and gateway to South East Asia, proud guardian of India’s diversity.”
Goel appealed to the people of Manipur to come forward and welcome the PM to the state and participate in the programmes in large numbers.
According to officials, nearly 57000 internally displaced persons are staying in around 250 relief centres in the state till June this year. In the beginning (2023), there were more than 62000 IDPs, but many have returned to their homes after the law and order situation improved, former chief secretary P K Singh said in July this year.
Giving details of Modi’s Manipur visit, Goel said,”on his arrival in Churachandpur around 12.15 pm, he will first interact with some IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the district. He will lay the foundation stones for various infrastructure projects to be taken up throughout the state. The PM will address a public gathering at Peace Ground in Churachandpur.
Thereafter, he will arrive at Kangla around 2.30 pm and first interact with some IDPs, and he will inaugurate various developmental projects. The PM will address a public gathering at Kangla, Goel said.
Among the projects, the PM will inaugurate the new Manipur Police headquarters built at a cost of Rs 101 crore at Mantripukhri in Imphal and a civil secretariat constructed at a cost of Rs 538 crore in the same locality.
From Churachandpur, Modi will lay the foundation stone for various projects, including the drainage and asset management improvement project worth Rs 3,647 crore and the Manipur Infotech Development (MIND) project at Rs 550 crore.
Though Modi’s visit was officially announced only on Friday, the trip was talked about for nearly two weeks and the Manipur government had on Thursday evening put up a large billboard, announcing the PM’s programmes at Churachandpur’s Peace Ground and Kangla Fort in Imphal on Saturday.
The state government on Thursday also issued an advisory, asking the public attending the “VVIP programme” in Peace Ground not to bring “key, pen, water bottle, bag, handkerchief, umbrella, lighter, match box, piece of cloth, any sharp objects or arms and ammunition”.
Another notification that did not mention the Prime Minister’s name asked people to avoid bringing children below 12 years and sick persons to the venue.
The Manipur government had earlier banned air guns in Churachandpur district in view of Modi’s visit.
Meanwhile, security measures have been tightened in Imphal and Churachandpur district headquarters town, the officials said.
Both state and central forces’ personnel were deployed in large numbers in and around the nearly 237-acre Kangla Fort in Imphal and the Peace Ground in Churachandpur, where a grand stage is being readied for the event.
Central security teams, accompanied by state personnel, are conducting round-the-clock inspection of the Kangla Fort, and boats of the Manipur disaster management force have been engaged for patrolling the moats that surround the fort, they said.
Police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed, and bamboo barricades have been constructed along the route leading to the Peace Ground.
Manipur’s lone Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba described the PM’s visit as a “very fortunate” one for the people and the state.
“It’s a great fortune that Modi will be listening to the hardships faced by the people…Manipur has had a history of violent clashes in the past. However, no prime minister has visited the state during such times and listened to people,” the BJP MP said.
Leading Kuki-Zo groups have also welcomed the Prime Minister’s visit to Manipur, terming it a “historic and rare occasion”.
According to the PMO release, Modi will also visit Mizoram, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar from 13th to 15th September.
PM to embark on 2-day Assam visit; to attend event on Bhupen Hazarika
Guwahati, Sep 12 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive here on a two-day visit to Assam on Saturday to pay tribute to Bharat Ratna awardee Bhupen Hazarika and unveil projects worth over Rs 19,000 crore in the state, officials said.
During his visit, the PM will also release a commemorative coin of Rs 100 to honour the legendary singer and a biography of the maestro titled ‘Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika’, they said. The celebrations will include an 18-minute musical tribute by 1200 artistes who will render 14 evergreen songs of Hazarika in a medley.
The prime minister will arrive here on Saturday at 4.20 pm and attend the meeting of Hazarika’s birth centenary celebrations at 5.15 pm, the officials said.
Modi will stay the night at a state guest house here.
On Sunday, Modi will leave for Mangaldoi in Darrang district, where he will lay the foundation stone for Darrang Medical College along with a nursing and a GNM school, in the morning, the officials said.
The combined investment for these healthcare projects is worth Rs 567 crore.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the Narengi-Kuruwa bridge and the Guwahati Ring Road project, which will connect Kamrup and Darrang districts in Assam and Ri Bhoi in Meghalaya, at an estimated cost of Rs 7,000 crore.
Modi will later leave for Numaligarh refinery in Golaghat district, where he will inaugurate the newly constructed over Rs 5,000 crore bamboo-based ethanol plant and will also lay the foundation stone for the more-than-Rs 7,000 crore Petro Fluidised Catalytic Cracker Unit, the officials said.
This facility will produce 360 KTPA propylene and give a big boost to the entire plastic value chain.
Modi will also address a public rally at the Numaligarh Tanker Stand.
The PM will leave for Kolkata from the Jorhat airport on Sunday evening.
A ‘PM Neem corridor’ has been created with the planting of neem trees along a 2.2-km stretch leading to the Numaligarh rally venue to honour the prime minister.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma planted a sapling there during his Thursday visit to review arrangements.
The CM chaired a meeting on Thursday night with cabinet ministers, MLAs and senior officials to review preparations for the centenary celebrations of Hazarika and the upcoming visit of the prime minister.
‘The CM issued clear directives to ensure smooth execution of the event and robust security arrangements’, the CMO posted on ‘X’.