Bhubaneswar — Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation a state-of-the-art elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port in Guwahati to National Highway-27, while also laying the foundation stone for the Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat and performing the Bhoomi Pujan for the Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel, Dibrugarh, and the Cruise Terminal at Neamati. The four projects represent a combined investment of 526 crore to boost infrastructure on inland waterways on river Brahmaputra (NW-2), as these projects are being implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).
The Prime Minister announced that the work of building modern cruise terminals at the famous Neamati Ghat and Biswanath Ghat has also commenced from today. PM Modi emphasised that this is not merely an infrastructure project , it is a step that will give a new direction to tourism and the local economy in Assam. The programme was held at Jyoti-Bishnu Auditorium, Guwahati, in the august presence of Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal among other dignitaries. “These projects worth thousands of crores are creating new avenues of employment for Assam’s youth and are boosting the state’s prosperity,” asserted PM Modi.The Prime Minister highlighted that in the past decade, the current government has undertaken a monumental initiative towards self-reliance.
Sarbananda Sonowal said the projects inaugurated and initiated were a direct expression of Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a developed and connected Northeast. “Prime Minister Modi ji has done what decades of governance could not — he has turned the Northeast from a region of promise into a region of progress. The Brahmaputra is no longer just a river. Under his leadership, it is becoming a highway of opportunity for millions of people. With his able leadership, the inland waterways are being transformed as the most economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation. Strengthening them has established the path of transformation of India’s logistics sector unlocking new growth opportunities,”
The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, for which the Bhoomi Pujan was performed, is being developed with an investment of 188 crore. The first maritime skill development hub of its kind in Northeast India, the RCoE will train over 5,000 students annually in vessel operations, inland navigation and maritime logistics. It will also house research and development infrastructure for crew and trainee programmes, building the skilled manpower base that India’s expanding inland waterways sector requires.
The Cruise Terminal at Neamati, also initiated through a Bhoomi Pujan on Friday, will strengthen cruise tourism and organised passenger movement along NW-2, improving infrastructure for tourists and communities along the Brahmaputra corridor. The two cruise terminal projects at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati carry a combined investment of 158 crore.
