On 13 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mizoram, Manipur, and Assam, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects and addressed public gatherings across the three states.
In Mizoram, the Prime Minister inaugurated and launched projects worth over nine thousand crore in sectors ranging from railways and roadways to energy and sports.
A major highlight of his programme was the inauguration of the Bairabi–Sairang New Railway Line, constructed at a cost of over eight thousand crore.
The railway line, laid through difficult hilly terrain, included 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges, and 88 minor bridges. With its inauguration, Aizawl will be directly connected to Delhi through a Rajdhani Express, whereas the Sairang–Guwahati and Sairang–Kolkata Express trains will provide new direct links to Assam and West Bengal.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of several road projects. These included the Aizawl Bypass Road, the Thenzawl–Sialsuk Road, and the Khankawn–Rongura Road. The Aizawl Bypass Road, 45 kilometres in length and built at a cost of more than 500 crore, was designed to decongest the city and improve connectivity to Lunglei, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Lengpui Airport, and the Sairang Railway Station.
He also laid the foundation stone of the Chhimtuipui River Bridge on the Lawngtlai–Siaha Road, a project aimed at providing all-weather connectivity and reducing travel time by two hours, while also supporting cross-border commerce under the Kaladan Multimodal Transit framework.
In addition, Modi laid the foundation stone of a multipurpose indoor sports hall under the Khelo India Scheme, an LPG bottling plant at Mualkhang with a capacity of 30 thousand metric tonnes per annum, and inaugurated two residential schools under central development schemes.
From Aizawl, the Prime Minister travelled to Manipur on his first visit to the state since the ethnic violence of May 2023. He was received at Imphal airport by Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, before travelling to Churachandpur, a district heavily affected by the violence and dominated by the Kuki community.
Modi became the first Prime Minister since Rajiv Gandhi in 1988 to visit the district. He later returned to Imphal, where he inaugurated projects worth over 1,200 crore rupees and addressed a public meeting at Kangla Fort.
Among the key projects inaugurated were the new Manipur Police Headquarters at Mantripukhri, built for 101 crore, and the new Civil Secretariat in the same area, costing 538 crore.
Other projects included a drainage and asset management improvement system valued at 3,647 crore rupees and the Manipur Infotech Development project, which cost 550 crore rupees.
In the evening, the Prime Minister arrived in Guwahati, Assam, where he attended the centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika at the Veterinary Ground in Khanapara.
Modi paid tributes to the legendary singer, recalling his contribution to national unity and his vision for a prosperous Northeast. He said the region was the land of new light and new hope for the country, with its cultural heritage and sacrifices deeply tied to the idea of India.
The Prime Minister spent the night at the State Guest House in Guwahati. On Sunday, he is scheduled to visit Mangaldoi in Darrang district and the Numaligarh refinery in Golaghat, where he will launch projects worth over 19,000 crore rupees and address public meetings. On Monday, he is expected to continue his eastern outreach with visits to West Bengal and Bihar.
