Blaming the erstwhile Congress government for neglecting the North-Eastern region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that infrastructure projects undertaken by his government created new possibilities as the development of Northeast is imperative for a Viksit Bharat.

“The development of the Northeast is necessary for fulfilling the resolution of Viksit Bharat… Congress laid the foundation stone of projects, got their pictures clicked, misled the people, and ran away. But Modi considers the entire Northeast as his family…” Modi said while addressing a public rally in Jorhat in Upper Assam.

He mentioned that projects like the bridge on Saraighat, Dhola-Sadiya Bridge, Bogibeel Bridge, extension of railway broad gauge till Barak Valley, Multi-modal Logistics Park, Jogighopa, two new bridges on Brahmaputra river and 18 waterways in the Northeast as compared to one in Assam in 2014.

He said that these projects created new possibilities in the region. He also mentioned the UNNATI Scheme which was approved in the last Cabinet meeting in new form with expanded scope. The Cabinet has also increased the MSP for jute which will benefit the jute farmers of the state.

The Prime Minister, inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 17,500 crore in Jorhat, Assam on Saturday. The development projects of today encompass the sectors of health, oil and gas, rail and housing.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the huge crowd present on the occasion and also acknowledged two lakh people joining from 200 different places in the state.

Talking about his visit to Kaziranga National Park, the Prime Minister called it a unique national park and tiger reserve and underlined the attraction of its biodiversity and ecosystem of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. “70 per cent of the single-horned rhinos are in Kaziranga,” he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out how the rhino became endangered due to negligence and criminal collaboration and recalled the hunting of 27 rhinos in a single year in 2013.

This number was brought down to zero in 2022 by the efforts of the government.

The Prime Minister mentioned unveiling the magnificent statue of Veer Lachit Borphukan and said, “Veer Lachit Borphukan is the symbol of Assam’s valour and determination.”

“Vikas bhi aur Virasat Bhi’ development as well as heritage has been the Mantra of our double engine government,” said the Prime Minister.

He said that Assam has made rapid strides in infrastructure, health and energy sectors. Health infrastructure like AIIMS, Tinsukia Medical College, Shiv Sagar Medical College and Cancer Hospital in Jorhat will make Assam a medical hub for the entire northeast.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the dedication of Barauni – Guwahati Pipeline under PM Urja Ganga Yojna to the nation. He informed that the gas pipeline will connect the Northeastern grid with the national grid and help supply gas to 30 lakh homes and more than 600 CNG stations, thereby benefiting people from more than 30 districts of Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.

Speaking about the inauguration of the expansion of Digboi Refinery and Guwahati Refinery, the Prime Minister said that the previous governments had neglected the long-standing demand of the people to expand the capacity of refineries in Assam.

He emphasized that with the efforts of the present government, the total capacity of refineries in Assam will now double while that of Numaligarh Refinery will triple. “Development of any region takes place at a fast pace when intentions for development are strong,” he added.

He congratulated 5.5 lakh families who got their pucca house today. He said that these houses are not just houses but are fitted with amenities like toilets, gas connections, electricity and piped water connection. Till now 18 lakh families have been provided such houses, he informed.

Listing out achievements of his government since 2014, the Prime Minister mentioned providing land rights to more than 2.5 lakh landless natives and connecting about 8 lakh tea garden workers with the banking system leading to the transfer of government benefits directly into their bank accounts. This, the Prime Minister said, closed all the doors for middlemen.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the love and affection of the people and said that every Indian is his family. “The love of the people is ushered upon Modi not only because he believes that 140 crore citizens of India are his family, but because he is also serving them day and night,” the Prime Minister said, highlighting that today’s occasion represents this belief.

Earlier in the day, after inaugurating the strategically significant Sela Tunnel project in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, Modi criticized the previous Congress-led UPA government for ‘neglecting’ border villages in the northeastern states. During his two-day visit, Modi undertook elephant and car safaris in the UNESCO Heritage site Kaziranga National Park.