PM to visit West Bengal, Assam on Dec 20-21

New Delhi, Dec 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal on December 20, where he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate national highway projects at Ranaghat in Nadia district.

The projects, worth about Rs 3200 crore, include the inauguration of the 66.7-km four-laning of the Barajaguli–Krishnanagar section of NH-34 and the foundation stone for the four-laning of the 17.6-km Barasat–Barajaguli stretch.

The highway works are expected to improve connectivity between Kolkata and Siliguri, reduce travel time by around two hours, and boost regional economic activity and tourism.

The Prime Minister will also address a public gathering. Later the same day, PM Modi will arrive in Guwahati, Assam, where he will inaugurate the new terminal building of Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport and interact with attendees.

The integrated terminal, spread over nearly 1.4 lakh square metres, can handle up to 1.3 crore passengers annually and is India’s first nature-themed airport terminal, drawing inspiration from Assam’s biodiversity and cultural heritage.

On December 21, the Prime Minister will pay tribute to martyrs at Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati before travelling to Namrup in Dibrugarh district to perform the bhoomi pujan for the brownfield Ammonia-Urea Fertiliser Project of Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Limited.

The project, with an estimated investment of over Rs 10,600 crore, aims to meet fertiliser needs in the Northeast, reduce import dependence, generate employment and support farmers’ welfare.