Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress governments of keeping the Northeast far from both ‘Dilli’ (Delhi) and ‘Dil’ (Heart) for many decades following Independence while unveiling projects worth ₹23,550 crore in Assam’s Silchar town.
“In a way, they had forgotten about the region. But the double engine government of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has connected the region in such a way that it has created a buzz everywhere,” Modi added while addressing a public meeting in Silchar on the second day of his two-day visit to the poll-bound state.
Highlighting how the Barak Valley was an important trade route and industrial hub prior to Independence, he said, “North east is the centre of India’s Act East Policy and is the bridge between the country and the South East Asia region. But like the rest of NE, Congress had a big role in alienating Assam’s Barak Valley. They allowed boundaries to be drawn in such a way during Independence that led to the region getting disconnected from the sea.”
Also Read: PM Modi steps up attack on Congress in poll-bound Assam: ‘Used rifts for selfish politics’
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: PM Modi steps up attack on Congress in poll-bound Assam: ‘Used rifts for selfish politics’
{{/usCountry}}The PM laid the foundation stone of the Shillong-Silchar Corridor, the first access-controlled Greenfield four-lane high-speed corridor in Northeast India.
The 166 km corridor, with an investment of around ₹22,860 crore, will significantly improve connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam. The project will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar and cut travel time from 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours.
“This Silchar-Shillong access-controlled high-speed corridor, which will be the first such one in the Northeast region (besides Assam and Meghalaya), will connect Silchar to Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura. Beyond this, it will improve connectivity to Bangladesh, Myanmar, and South East Asia,” he said.
He also performed Bhoomi Poojan for an elevated corridor on NH-306 from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar (Phase I), a project aimed to decongest one of Silchar’s busiest roads, improve connectivity with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley.
Modi accused the Congress of keeping Assam’s youths trapped in violence and terrorism. “Congress got defeated in Assam and in several other states. In the near future, the party will make a century of electoral defeats. Now the Congress’s leaders are busy denigrating the nation like they did in the recently concluded AI Summit in Delhi by taking out a protest by ripping their clothes,” he said.
“Such a party which is anti-national can’t do any good for the country or for Assam. Our government is trying our best to ensure minimum discomfort to citizens due to the present war in Middle-East, but at such a time Congress is spreading rumours to create panic only with the sole intention of targeting BJP and me,” he added.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for a new College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in the Karimganj district.