The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 11,000 crores in Guwahati, Assam. The key focus areas in Guwahati include projects to boost sports & medical infrastructure and connectivity.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for being present in Assam today with the blessings of Maa Kamakhya to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 11,000 crores. He said that the development projects of today will boost Assam’s connectivity to the North Eastern states as well as neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia while also boosting employment in the tourism sector and creating new opportunities for sporting talents in the state. He also mentioned an expansion to the medical education and healthcare sector in the state owing to today’s development projects. Prime Minister Modi congratulated the people of Assam and the North Eastern region for today’s development project and thanked the citizens of Guwahati for the warm reception when he arrived yesterday evening.
Recalling his recent visits to multiple pilgrimage sites, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for arriving before Maa Kamakhya today and laying the foundation stone of Maa Kamakhya Divya Lok Pariyojana. Throwing light on the concept and scope of the project, PM Modi informed that upon completion, it will further increase ease of access and comfort for the devotees while also giving a boost to the footfall. “Assam will become the gateway to tourism in the North East with an increase in the footfall of devotees for Maa Kamakhya’s darshan”, the Prime Minister said as he lauded the efforts of the state government and Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma
Highlighting the significance of Indian pilgrimage sites and temples, the Prime Minister emphasized that these places symbolize an indelible mark of our civilization over thousands of years, showcasing how Bharat has held on to every crisis it has faced. We have witnessed how the civilizations which were considered to be prosperous in the past, now stand in ruins. PM Modi lamented the post-independence governments for starting a trend of being ashamed of one’s own culture and identity for political gains and failing to understand the importance of Bharat’s holy places. He said that it has been rectified in the past 10 years with the help of policies focussing on both ‘Vikas’ (development) and ‘Virasat’ (heritage). Explaining the benefits of these policies for the people of Assam, PM Modi stressed the importance of connecting historical and spiritual places in the state with modern facilities, a move aimed at preserving these sites and accelerating development. Noting the expansion of prominent educational institutes like IIT and IIM, he said earlier they used to be set up in big cities only. However, now a network of IITs, IIMs and AIIMs has spread across the country with the total number of medical colleges in Assam, which earlier stood at 6, increasing to 12. He also asserted that the state will gradually become a hub for cancer treatment in the North East.