GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the city of Guwahati on the first half of Friday. He is visiting the state to take inaugurate several key projects in the state as well as to take part in the massive Bihu celebration in the Sarusajai Stadium of the city.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received Narendra Modi at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at around 11 AM on Friday. From there they moved towards the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati to continue with the rest of the programme.
Narendra Modi inaugurated the AIIMS Guwahati in the presence of Himanta Biswa Sarma. Located in North Guwahati, this medical facility is the only one of its kind in the Northeastern part of the country. The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the project which incurred a cost of Rs 1123 Cr, himself in 2017. According to prior comments from the head of the institution, 85% work has already been completed on this project, while the remaining 15% will be completed within the coming months.
Calling it a milestone in the path of healthcare in Northeast India, the Prime Minister asked people from all across the region to take benefit of this facility. He also inaugurated the three new medical colleges of the state in Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar to meet the healthcare needs of the people in these districts.
Speaking on the occasion, the Assam chief minister announced an initiative to distribute 1.1 crore Ayushman Bharat cards and added that the number will be increased to 3.3 crores in the next one and a half months. Beneficiaries will now be able to avail of cashless healthcare benefits worth up to Rs five lakh with these cards in select medical facilities of the state.
He will also take part in the mega Bihu celebrations to be organised in the Sarusajai Stadium on the afternoon of Friday.
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