Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday performed Bhoomi Poojan of the Shillong-Silchar Corridor, the first access-controlled Greenfield four-lane High-Speed Corridor in North-East India.

The 166 km corridor, with an investment of around Rs 22,860 crore, will significantly improve connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam.

The project will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar and cut travel time from 8.5 hours to approximately 5 hours, boosting economic growth and cross-border trade in the region, according to a release.

Speaking at the occasion, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, 'India is moving forward with the resolve to transform itself into a developed nation. On behalf of Assam, it is our endeavour that as India becomes developed, our Assam, too, will emerge as a strong and robust state. This is our goal. Elections in Assam are just around the corner. On behalf of the Barak Valley and the people of Assam, I wish to convey this message to the Prime Minister: The people of Assam will bring back the Modi government'.

The Prime Minister also performed Bhoomi Poojan for an elevated corridor on NH-306 from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar (Phase I).

The project will decongest one of Silchar's busiest roads, improve connectivity with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley.

He laid the foundation stone for a new College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in the Karimganj district. The institution will strengthen the ecosystem of agricultural education and research in Assam and provide students from the Barak Valley and neighbouring regions access to high-quality agricultural education closer to home.

On March 13, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development works worth over Rs 4,570 crore in Kokrajhar, Assam.

In Guwahati, the Prime Minister dedicated and initiated 13 projects worth Rs 19,577.58 crore spanning multiple sectors of hydrocarbons, power, shipping, railways, etc. at a programme held at Jyoti Bishnu Antarjataik Kala Mandir in the presence of Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

At the same programme, Prime Minister Modi handed over land ownership to tea workers, ushering in a new dawn of development in the state. The Prime Minister, on the occasion, also released the 22nd PM KISAN instalment across the country. (ANI)