Imphal/Guwahati, Sep 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day visit to Assam, Manipur and Mizoram from Saturday, during which he will attend a series of events.
Officials said the Prime Minister would first arrive in Mizoram’s capital to inaugurate the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway project, making Aizawl the fourth capital city in the Northeast to be connected by rail after Guwahati, Agartala and Itanagar.
PM Modi, accompanied by some central ministers, will flag off three pairs of new train services connecting Aizawl with Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. He will also address public gatherings. The three trains are Sairang-Anand Vihar (Delhi) Rajdhani Express (weekly), Kolkata-Sairang-Kolkata Express (tri-weekly) and Guwahati-Sairang-Guwahati Express (daily).
From Aizawl, the Prime Minister will fly to Manipur, his first visit since ethnic violence broke out in May 2023. He will address public meetings in Churachandpur and Imphal. PM Modi will unveil projects valued at Rs 8,500 crore from the two places.
He will lay foundation stones for various development projects worth Rs 7,300 crore from Peace Ground in Churachandpur, where Kuki-Zo tribals are the majority. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate various infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,200 crore from a public meeting to be held at the historic Kangla Fort in Imphal.
According to the officials, in both Churachandpur and Imphal, the Prime Minister is likely to meet local MLAs, leaders and Civil Society Organisations. In view of the prevailing situation in Manipur and the PM’s visit, security has been stepped up across Imphal East, Imphal West, Churachandpur, Bishnupur and adjoining districts.
Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla earlier held a meeting with five MLAs, belonging to the Kuki-Zo communities in Churachandpur and discussed the visit of the Prime Minister. The Governor, on September 7, held a meeting with BJP MLAs from the Imphal Valley region, including former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, and the BJP’s state President Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi.
An official said that Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Security Advisor to the government Kuldiep Singh, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and Commissioner (Home) N. Ashok Kumar also attended the meeting.
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Manipur, Lieutenant General Abhijit S. Pendharkar, General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps, undertook a comprehensive visit to Churachandpur and other districts as part of his wider review of the security landscape across Manipur.
The top Army officer reviewed the security situation in different districts, including the forward areas along the India-Myanmar border and preparedness of forces in various districts, a defence spokesman said.
The spokesman said that Lt Gen Pendharkar also engaged with personnel from the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Manipur Police, and other security agencies deployed across Manipur.
After a prolonged ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities, Manipur has been under President’s Rule since February 13, four days after the resignation of N. Biren Singh from the Chief Minister’s post.
60-member Manipur Assembly, which, after the promulgation of President’s Rule, has been put under suspended animation, has a tenure till 2027. After Manipur, the Prime Minister will go to Guwahati for a two-day visit.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said the Prime Minister will be on a two-day visit to Assam from September 13-14. PM Modi’s visit is centred on the birth centenary celebrations of cultural icon and Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, and he will also inaugurate the official celebrations on September 13 in Guwahati.
On Sunday (September 14), the PM would unveil projects worth over Rs 19,000 crore in various places of Assam. In Darrang district, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for Darrang Medical College along with a nursing and a GNM school, with a combined investment for these healthcare projects worth Rs 567 crore.
He would also lay the foundation stone for the Narengi-Kuruwa bridge and the Guwahati Ring Road project, to connect Kamrup and Darrang districts in Assam and Ri Bhoi in Meghalaya, at an estimated investment of Rs 7,000 crore.
According to officials in Guwahati, the PM 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.
IANS