GUWAHATI, Feb. 14 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic landing at northeast's first emergency landing facility (ELF) aboard C-130J aircraft in Assam's Moran in Dibrugarh district on Saturday, beginning his day-long visit to the state that is scheduled to go to Assembly polls soon.
He had taken off from the Chabua airfield after his arrival, and landed at the ELF in Moran on a stretch of National Highway-37.
In an earlier post on X, PM Modi had said the ELF would be vital for emergency response, enabling the timely deployment of rescue and relief operations during challenging situations.
The Rs 100-crore ELF, a 4.2-km reinforced stretch on the Moran Bypass will act as a strategic and multi-functional runway for IAF fighter jets and transport aircraft, strengthening defence, logistics and disaster response. The facility is designed for both civil and military use, serving as an alternative to the Dibrugarh airport in case of emergency.
The ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight. India's first ELF was inaugurated in 2021 in Rajasthan's Barmer district.
After landing, PM Modi witnessed a 40-minute air show, comprising Tejas, Sukhoi, Rafale and other fighter jets. In a post on X after the inauguration, the PM said "it is a matter of immense pride that the Northeast gets an Emergency Landing Facility".
"From a strategic point of view and during times of natural disasters, this facility is of great importance," he said.
The PM was received at the ELF by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and other ministers of the Assam cabinet.
PM Modi also inaugurated several projects in Assam, including a bridge on the Brahmaputra River, an IIM and a data centre for the northeastern region.
The projects, which were rolled out months ahead of Assam assembly elections, aim to boost connectivity, strengthen digital infrastructure, promote higher education and enhance public transport.
The first project the prime minister inaugurated in the state capital was a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River. He launched the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore.
The six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge will connect Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast.
After the inauguration, Modi took a walk on the bridge. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present on the occasion.
The bridge will cut travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to just seven minutes. Presently, only the Saraighat Bridge in Jalukbari area connects the two banks of the Brahmaputra in the capital region, with travel time taking around 30 minutes.
Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office. High-performance stay cables were used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance, it added.
"A Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge," the PMO statement said.
Modi had laid the foundation stone for the bridge on February 9, 2019 and construction started on March 1, 2020 by the then Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The initial cost of the bridge was Rs 2,608 crore, which escalated to Rs 3,030 crore, and the project was estimated to be completed within four years. The length of the bridge is 7.75 km, including approach roads and flyovers on both sides of the Brahmaputra, while the actual bridge over the river is 1.24 km long.
The PM also virtually inaugurated the temporary campus of the IIM Guwahati, which is expected to give a major fillip to higher education and management education in the northeastern region. The main IIM Guwahati project will entail an expenditure of Rs 555 crore.
The central government had last year approved the establishment of an IIM in Guwahati. This is the second IIM in the Northeast and the 22nd in the country. The first IIM in the region is in Shillong.
The PM also inaugurated, through virtual mode, the National Data Centre (NDC) for the northeastern region, set up at an investment of Rs 348 crore at Amingaon in Kamrup district of Assam.
The state-of-the-art data centre with a total sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and an average rack capacity of 10 kW per rack will host mission-critical applications of various government departments and also function as a disaster recovery centre for other NDCs.
"This will enable governments in the Northeast to digitally facilitate the delivery of essential citizen-centric services," the PMO said.
Modi also flagged off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
Of these, 100 buses are for Guwahati, 50 each for Nagpur and Bhavnagar, and 25 for Chandigarh.
Later, addressing BJP workers, PM Modi launched an all-out attack on the Congress, accusing it of neglecting the Northeast and promoting insurgency in Assam during its rule.
Modi alleged that the Congress always endangered the nation's security, with fear and insecurity prevailing during its tenure in Assam.
''The Congress indulged in polarisation and vote bank politics, and took decisions that promoted these,'' he said.
"The partition of the country took place due to the Muslim League, but now there is 'MMC' - Maoist, Muslim, Congress - and people should be aware,'' Modi said.
The PM accused the Congress of protecting infiltrators, but the BJP is "committed to end illegal immigration, and so the next five years are very important for the state''.
He also claimed that the Congress, being out of power in Assam for 10 years, is "more dangerous than when it was in power, and this is evident from the venomous statements made by its leaders".
For seven decades, the Congress built only three bridges over the Brahmaputra, but the BJP government constructed five bridges in 10 years, he asserted.
He said all-round development is taking place in Assam due to the efforts of the BJP government.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.