PM Modi unveils 125-ft tall statue of Lachit Barphukan at Hollongapar; launches projects worth Rs 17,500 cr

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 9, 2024

Stating that ‘Vikas bhi aur Virasat Bhi’ (development as well as heritage) has been the mantra of the double engine government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the development of Northeast is imperative for a Viksit Bharat.

“Modi considers the entire Northeast his family. That is why we are also focussing on the projects that are lying pending for years”, Modi said while inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 17,500 crores in Jorhat on Saturday. 

“The projects like the bridge on Saraighat, Dhola-Sadiya Bridge, Bogibeel Bridge, extension of railway broad gauge till Barak Valley, Multi-modal Logistics Park, Jogighopa, two new bridges on Brahmaputra River and 18 waterways in the Northeast as opposed to 1 in Assam in 2014,” Modi said. 

“These projects created new possibilities in the region,” he said.  

The Prime Minister said the UNNATI Scheme which was approved in the last Cabinet meeting in a new form with expanded scope. The Cabinet has also increased the MSP for Jute which will benefit the jute farmers of the state. 

The Prime Minister said Assam has made rapid strides in infrastructure, health and energy sectors. 

“Health infrastructure like AIIMS, Tinsukia Medical College, Shiv Sagar Medical College and 

Cancer Hospital in Jorhat will make Assam a medical hub for the entire northeast,” Modi said. 

Modi also touched upon the dedication of the Barauni-Guwahati Pipeline under PM Urja Ganga Yojna to the nation and informed that the gas pipeline will connect the Northeastern grid with the national grid and help supply gas to 30 lakh homes and more than 600 CNG stations, thereby benefiting people from more than 30 districts of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.

Referring to the inauguration of the expansion of Digboi Refinery and Guwahati Refinery, the Prime Minister said that the previous governments had neglected the long-standing demand of the people to expand the capacity of refineries in Assam. 

He emphasized that with the efforts of the present government, the total capacity of refineries in Assam will now double while that of Numaligarh Refinery will triple. 

“Development of any region takes place at a fast pace when intentions for development are strong”, he added. 

He congratulated 5.5 lakh families who got their pucca house and said that these houses are not just houses but are fitted with amenities like toilets, gas connections, electricity and piped water connections. Till now 18 lakh families have been provided such houses, he said. 

He expressed happiness about the fact that most of these houses are in the name of the women. 

Reiterating the government’s commitment to make the life of every woman of Assam easy and improve her savings, the Prime Minister mentioned the decision to reduce the price of a gas cylinder by Rs 100 on Women’s Day. Schemes like Ayushman Cards are also benefiting women. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 50 lakh households have received piped water connections in Assam. He also reiterated his commitment to creating 3 crore Lakhpati Didis.  

Highlighting the historic transformations that took place in Assam after 2014, the Prime Minister mentioned providing land rights to more than 2.5 lakh landless natives and connecting about 8 lakh tea garden workers with the banking system leading to the transfer of government benefits directly into their bank accounts. This, the Prime Minister said, closed all the doors for middlemen.

He expressed gratitude for the huge crowd present on the occasion and also acknowledged 2 lakh people joining from 200 different places in the state. 

Modi also noted the lighting of thousands of diyas by the people of Kolaghat and said that the love and affection of the people make for his biggest asset. He affirmed giving momentum to the development of Assam by laying the foundation stone and dedicating to the nation development projects worth about Rs 17,500 crores in the sectors of health, housing and petroleum.  

Talking about his visit to Kaziranga National Park, Modi called it a unique national park and tiger reserve and underlined the attraction of its biodiversity and ecosystem of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. “70 per cent of the single-horned rhinos are in Kaziranga”, he said. 

He also talked about the experience of finding wildlife such as swamp deer, tiger, elephant and wild buffalo. The Prime Minister pointed out how the rhino became endangered due to negligence and criminal collaboration and recalled the hunting of 27 rhinos in a single year in 2013. This number was brought down to zero in 2022 by the efforts of the government. 

Greeting the people of Assam on the golden jubilee year of Kaziranga, the Prime Minister exhorted the citizens to visit the national park. 

The Prime Minister mentioned unveiling the magnificent statue of Veer Lachit Borphukan today and said, “Veer Lachit Borphukan is the symbol of Assam’s valour and determination”. He also recalled celebrating his 400th birth anniversary with great pomp and honour in 2002 in New Delhi and bowed before the brave warrior.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the love and affection of the people and said that every Indian is his family. “The love of the people is ushered upon Modi not only because he believes that 140 crore citizens of India are his family, but because he is also serving them day and night”, the Prime Minister said, highlighting that today’s occasion represents this belief. He concluded by congratulating the citizens for the development projects of today with chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ echoing through the scene. 

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union minister Sarbanada Sonowal were present on the occasion among others. 

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for projects under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) scheme including the Medical College & Hospital at Sivasagar and a Hemato-Lymphoid center in Guwahati. 

He also laid the foundation stone for important projects in the oil and gas sector including the capacity expansion of Digboi Refinery from 0.65 to 1 MMTPA (million metric tonnes per annum); Guwahati Refinery Expansion (1.0 to 1.2 MMTPA) along with the installation of Catalytic Reforming Unit (CRU); and augmentation of Facilities at Betkutchi (Guwahati) Terminal: Indian Oil Corporation Limited, among others.

The Prime Minister dedicated to nation important projects like the new medical Medical College and Hospital at Tinsukia; and 718 Km long Barauni – Guwahati Pipeline (part of Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project) built at a cost of about Rs 3,992 crore, among others. 

The Prime Minister also inaugurated about 5.5 lakh homes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), constructed at a total cost of about Rs.8,450 crore;

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation important railway projects worth more than Rs 1300 crore in Assam including Dhupdhara-Chhaygaon section (part of New Bongaigaon – Guwahati Via Goalpara Doubling Project) and New Bongaigaon – Sorbhog Section (part of New Bongaigaon – Agthori Doubling Project).