PM to lay foundations of projects worth Rs 8,500 crore: CM Himanta

11,010 Bihuwas and Bihuwatis to perform at mega recital

April 14: A historic day

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate various projects and lay the foundations for many projects worth around Rs 8,500 crore in the state on April 14. The Prime Minister will remain present at the mega Bihu demonstration in Guwahati on that day.

Addressing a press conference today, the Chief Minister briefed the media in detail regarding the Prime Minister’s itinerary. The Chief Minister said, “The Prime Minister will land at Borjhar LGBI Airport at 11.30 am on April 14. From there, he will leave for IIT-Guwahati with a helicopter and then to the AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) at Changsari. He will formally inaugurate the AIIMS and dedicate it to the public. The total project cost of AIIMS was Rs 1,123 crore, and 85 percent of the construction work is complete. The remaining 15 percent of work will be over soon. The medical institute will have 750 indoor beds with 100 MBBS seats, besides OPD, general OPD, Ayush OPD, etc. The inauguration of AIIMS will achieve a milestone in the health sector in the state. From AIIMS, the Prime Minister will virtually inaugurate three medical colleges of the state: Nagaon Medical College with a project cost of Rs 604 crore, Kokrajhar Medical College with a cost of Rs 535 crore, and Nalbari Medical College with a cost of Rs 615 crore. Each of these three medical colleges will have 500 beds and 100 MBBS seats. This is a historic year for the health sector in the state because we got the recognition of three medical colleges from the National Medical Commission. From there, the Prime Minister will launch the cashless healthcare facility for ration card holders up to Rs 5 lakh yearly under the Ayushman Bharat and the Mukhyo Mantrir Ayushman Asom Asoni. He will also start the distribution of 1.10 crore healthcare cards, which will be effective from May 10 this year.”

The Chief Minister said, “IIT-Guwahati and the State Government did take the decision to set up a research-based multi-speciality hospital at the IIT campus. The State Government will initially spend Rs 600 crore on the project. The proposed institution will also work on engineering solutions to problems besides medical service. We want to make sure the proposed institution meets the world-class benchmark. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of this institution virtually from the AIIMS campus. After the programme at AIIMS, the Prime Minister will come to Khanapara Field onboard a helicopter. At 1.45 pm, he will take part in the closing ceremony of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Gauhati High Court at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. He will be at Sarusajai Stadium at 4.45 p.m. From there, he will inaugurate the foundation stone of the Methanol Project (5 TPD) of the Assam Petrochemical Ltd at Namrup, with a project cost of Rs 1,709 crore and a share of 51 percent owned by the State Government and 49 percent by OIL. The commissioning of this project will let us transport methanol outside the state and neighbouring countries. This is a big investment for the industry in the state. He will also virtually lay the foundation stone of a beautification project for Rangghar in Sivasagar. The project cost is Rs 100 crore. The tender for this beautification project has been floated, and the tendering process will be over by April 14. And from the stadium, he will also lay the foundation stone of the bridge across the Brahmaputra connecting Palasbari and Sualkuchi. The cost of this project is around Rs 3197 crore, financed by an NDB loan, grants from the Central Government and active participation from the State Government. This bridge will be a step forward for the proposed ring road around Guwahati, of which the proposed bridge over the Brahmaputra connecting Narangi and Kuruwa is also a part. We may try to start the construction of this bridge by the end of this year. We are trying to inaugurate the Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge by the 2024 Rongali Bihu.”

On the mega Bihu demonstration, the Chief Minister said, “In the presence of the Prime Minister, 11,010 Bihuwas and Bihuwtis will perform on April 14 at Sarusajai Stadium. All artistes from various districts will arrive in Guwahati tomorrow for the 15-minute Bihu recital. From there, the Prime Minister will address the people of Assam. This recital will take the Bihu dance to the rest of the world, let alone the rest of India.”

When asked about the record in the Guinness Book, the Chief Minister said, “We have registered at the Guinness Book of World Records for both Bihu dance and playing Bihu dhol. If we can get over 10,000 participants, it will be an incidental success for us, leading to a certificate. We have a GI tag for our gamosa. If everything goes well, we may get the GI tag certificate for the gamosa on that day. Assam will head for a new course of development of the state in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on that day. All these projects will cost around Rs 8,500 crore.”

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