Guwahati, Sept 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Northeast has a significant role to play in building a developed India.
“Today, the entire nation is moving forward in unity to build a developed India; especially for our young citizens, a developed India is both a dream and a resolve, and the Northeast has a significant role to play in fulfilling this resolve,” Modi said, declaring that while twenty-five years of the 21st century have passed, “the next chapter of this century belongs to the East and the Northeast.”
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around ₹6,500 crore in Darrang district, asserting that the state is fast emerging as a “growth engine” of India’s development.
Addressing a massive gathering, the Prime Minister said Assam, once struggling to keep pace with the rest of the country, is now advancing with a growth rate of nearly 13 per cent. “India is the fastest-growing country in the world, and Assam has become one of the fastest-growing states,” he said, crediting the progress to the joint efforts of the Union, state government, and the people of Assam.
Among the key projects launched were the Darrang Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati Ring Road, and the foundation stone for the Kurua–Narengi bridge over the Brahmaputra, which will cut travel time between Guwahati and Darrang to a few minutes. The ring road will connect five national highways, two state highways, an airport, three railway stations, and an inland water terminal—marking Assam’s first seamless multi-modal connectivity network.
Urging citizens to keep one important message in mind during the festive season, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to choose indigenous products, stating that people should buy Made in India items, gift Made in India products, and ensure that shopkeepers also promote and sell Made in India goods. He called upon everyone to be vocal for local, asserting that every effort in this direction will strengthen the nation.
Modi declared that starting from Navratri, GST rates will be significantly reduced on cement, medicines, insurance, and vehicles, making household items, healthcare, and mobility more affordable. “This reform will bring festive cheer to every family in Assam,” he said.
Underscoring the government’s focus on healthcare, the Prime Minister noted that Assam now has 24 medical colleges, up from just six before 2014. He also set a target of adding one lakh new medical seats nationwide in the next 4–5 years.
The Prime Minister invoked Assam’s cultural pride, recalling Bhupen Hazarika’s legacy and the historic Patharughat peasant satyagraha, and stressed the government’s commitment to protecting Assam’s identity. He lashed out at the opposition for “encouraging infiltration” and praised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s efforts to free encroached land, citing the Gorukhuti Agricultural Project as an example of reclaiming land for development.
He alleged that the opposition, for its political interests, aligns itself with individuals and ideologies that are anti-India. Referring to Operation Sindoor, he claimed that even during this mission, such tendencies were evident. He remarked that when the opposition dispensation was in power, the country suffered from widespread terrorism while the opposition party remained silent.
He criticised the opposition for siding with Pakistan’s army instead of India’s, and of promoting the agenda of those who shelter terrorists. He asserted that Pakistan’s falsehoods become the opposition’s narrative, and urged the public to remain vigilant against the opposition parties.
Affirming that their government will not allow infiltrators to seize control over the nation’s resources and assets, the Prime Minister stated that the rights of India’s farmers, youth, and tribal communities will not be compromised under any circumstances.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and other dignitaries were present at the event.
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