Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to Assam from Saturday, during which he will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for several projects and address public meetings.
The PM, inter alia, will inaugurate the ₹4,000 crore new terminal of the Guwahati airport, which, he said, will give a major boost to Assam's infrastructure.
During the visit, he will also pay homage to the martyrs of the Assam movement, a six-year-long violent anti-foreigner agitation that began in 1979.
“I will reach Guwahati, Assam tomorrow, 20th December. In the afternoon, the new terminal building of the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport will be inaugurated. This is a major boost to Assam’s infrastructure. Increased capacity means better ‘Ease of Living’ and a boost for commerce as well as tourism,” Modi said in a post on X.
Replying to the post, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the people of Assam were eagerly awaiting his arrival and the inauguration of India's first nature-themed airport terminal.
''This has been only possible due to your leadership and commitment towards boosting Assam as a key growth engine,'' Sarma said.
In another post, the PM said that on Sunday he will pay homage to the martyrs of the Assam movement, and then go to Namrup in Dibrugarh district for the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ of the Ammonia-Urea Fertiliser Project.
The project of Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited "will help meet the fertiliser requirements of Assam and other states. At the same time, it will reduce imports, thus boosting Aatmanirbharta'', Modi said.
The PM paying homage to the martyrs of the Assam Agitation will be “nothing less than historic”, Sarma said, adding that the Ammonia-Urea Plant will also be a major economic driver for the state and “further accelerate your (Modi’s) vision for Assam's growth''.
Modi will begin his two-day visit to the state by unveiling an 80-foot-tall statue of Assam's first Chief Minister Gopinath Bardoloi, sculpted by eminent artist Ram Sutar, outside the new terminal of the airport named after him.
After inaugurating the new terminal of the airport, he will spend around 15 minutes inside.
Earlier, the chief minister said in a post: ''Excitement at its peak! LGBI Airport's Integrated Terminal is all decked up to welcome Adarniya @narendramodi ji tomorrow! Just a few hours to go!''
The Prime Minister will also address a public meeting just outside the terminal building on Saturday.
After the meeting, Modi will proceed in a road show towards the BJP headquarters in Bashista area, where he will interact with party workers.
Sarma claimed that this is the first time that a Prime Minister will visit a BJP office in the state, and it is a “historic occasion” for the party.
The Prime Minister will spend the night at the state guest house in Koinadhora, Khanapara area of the city.
On Sunday morning, Modi will interact with 25 meritorious students of different schools in his programme 'Pariksha pe Charcha' for around half an hour while sailing on the River Brahmaputra aboard a cruise ship 'Charaideo'.
After the cruise, he will visit the newly constructed 'Swahid Smarak Kshetra' in memory of 860 martyrs of the Assam movement, and offer his tributes before the lamp which always remains lit.
The PM will also visit the martyrs gallery, where the bust of the 860 people who lost their lives in the movement have been placed, and garland the statue of the first martyr Khargeswar Talukdar.
He will then leave for Dibrugarh and from there to Namrup where he will do the 'Bhumi pujan' of the ₹12,000 crore ammonia-urea fertiliser plant which marks substantial impetus to the state's growth and development.
The PM will also address a public meeting at Namrup before leaving for New Delhi.
