Prime Minister Narendra Modi in presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday laid the foundation stone for three major projects in Mangaldoi, Darrang district, with an investment of Rs 6,300 crore.
These projects include the construction of Darrang Medical College and Hospital at a cost of Rs 570 crore, the Guwahati Ring Road with an investment of Rs 4,530 crore and construction of the Kuruwa-Narengi connecting bridge over the Brahmaputra at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore.
It may be noted that to be identified as the 24th Medical College of Assam, the Darrang Medical College, will admit 100 students each year into the MBBS programme.
The medical college will have the facility for GNM School and BSc Nursing College with the annual intake capacity of 40 and 60 students respectively. Once completed, the medical college and hospital will address the long-standing need of healthcare services and medical education in the district and its adjoining areas.
Meanwhile, the 121.43 KM long Guwahati Ring Road project has been divided into three main sections.
The first section, about 55 km long, will stretch from Baihata Chariali to Sonapur via Kuruwa and Chandrapur. This part will include a four-lane road along with several six-lane bridges, including the 2.9 km Kuruwa-Narengi bridge over the Brahmaputra, as well as five other bridges, three flyovers and three road over-bridges.
The second section will witness upgradation of the existing four-lane road into a six-lane road from the Jayanagar underpass on National Highway 27 to Jorabat. This stretch will also feature two flyovers.
The third section will upgrade the four- and six-lane road of National Highway 27 from Baihata to Sonapur.
The Guwahati Ring Road will serve as an alternative route around the city, ensuring smooth movement of vehicles, including trucks traveling from West Bengal, Bihar and other regions, through the East-West Corridor on National Highway 27.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that an architect of a New India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, helped to build a developed Assam.
He said that the three projects worth Rs 6,300 crore at Darrang today will open a new horizon for the State’s development.
He said that the construction of the Darrang Medical College will be completed within three years and it will meet a long-standing need of the people. The Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped immensely for transforming Guwahati into the gateway to the entire Southeast Asia. He said that the much-awaited Guwahati Ring Road project will connect the city with Darrang and Morigaon districts, taking the region’s development to new heights.
He further stated that the Guwahati Ring Road and the Kuruwa-Narengi bridge will strengthen the region’s economy and serve as a driving force for creating new satellite towns.
The Chief Minister said that today the Prime Minister has gifted Assam projects worth Rs 18,000 crore in Darrang and Golaghat districts.
He observed that no previous Government had ever gifted Assam such large-scale projects at one go. He on the occasion on behalf of the people of the State, expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister.
He said that the Prime Minister has taken the initiative to move Assam forward with numerous schemes, including the Namrup Fertilizer Plant, the Tata Semiconductor Project in Jagiroad, and the large power generation plant at Chapar in Dhubri district. He further mentioned that very soon, the road from Baihata Chariali to Tezpur will also be converted into a four-lane highway.
The Chief Minister said that Assam today embraces new hope, accepts the challenges of a new era, and moves forward to build a New Assam.
He said that the way the Prime Minister honoured Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika in Guwahati yesterday touched the hearts of every Assamese.
Chief Minister Sarma said that a few days ago, under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Assam. He added that several other important projects are also under consideration by the Government of India.
He observed that once these projects become a reality, Assam will emerge as a developed state.
He said that after the politics of terrorism and violence, an environment of growth and development has now been created in Assam. Stating that Assam is today moving toward a new horizon in an agitation free atmosphere, the Chief Minister said that the people’s support to the Government over the past five years has made it possible for everybody to dream of a New Assam.
MP Dilip Saikia delivered the welcome addressing in the programme which was attended by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister, Revenue and Disaster Management Keshab Mahanta, Minister, Public Health Engineering Jayanta Mallabaruah, MLAs Basanta Das and Paramananda Rajbongshi, Chairman Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Gurujyoti Das, along with a host of other dignitaries.
