PM Modi Launches ₹23,550 Crore Development Projects In Assam’s Silchar, Highlights Barak Valley’s Role In Act East Policy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth ₹23,550 crore in Silchar, Assam, saying the initiatives would strengthen connectivity, boost employment and transform the Barak Valley into a key logistics hub for the North East.
Addressing a gathering, Prime Minister Modi described Barak Valley as a region defined by cultural diversity where Bengali, Assamese and tribal traditions coexist in harmony. He said the projects in rail, road and education sectors would enhance trade routes and create new opportunities for local youth while strengthening the region’s economic role in the North East.
Highlighting the Centre’s focus on improving connectivity, the Prime Minister said the ground-breaking of the ₹24,000 crore Shillong–Silchar High-Speed Corridor would mark a historic milestone for the region. He noted that the access-controlled corridor would link Silchar with Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura and eventually connect the North East with markets in South-East Asia, strengthening India’s Act East Policy. Modi added that infrastructure projects such as the new Silchar flyover and rail electrification across more than 2,500 km of Assam’s railway network would reduce travel time and improve mobility for residents, including students of institutions like National Institute of Technology Silchar and Assam University.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the contribution of farmers and tea garden workers to Assam’s development, stating that over ₹20,000 crore has been transferred to farmers in the state under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. He said the upcoming agriculture college in Patharkandi would promote research and support agri-startups in the Barak Valley. Modi further said the government now considers border villages as the “first villages” of the country, highlighting the expansion of the Vibrant Village Programme from Cachar district to improve infrastructure in border areas.
Further, the PM praised the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government for granting land rights to tea garden families, calling it a historic step that would help them access central welfare schemes such as housing, electricity and water. He said the government is also focusing on education, skill development and healthcare for the youth of tea garden communities, adding that Assam is emerging as a health and technology hub with new institutions and opportunities in sectors like semiconductors.
The Prime Minister said the development initiatives inaugurated in Silchar would accelerate the region’s growth and strengthen its role in India’s economic future.
