Silchar: Rain on Friday morning added urgency to preparations in Silchar as the city geared up to host PM Narendra Modi on Saturday. District authorities and party workers are working round the clock to prepare the rally venue at Ramnagar.Despite inclement weather, Cachar district administration officials continued final preparations at the sprawling venue along the Ramnagar bypass. Senior BJP leaders and party workers were also present at the site, overseeing arrangements and coordinating with volunteers.The city has been decked up with saffron flags and festoons ahead of the PM’s visit, while security has been tightened across Silchar and adjoining areas.Minister Kaushik Rai said Modi will address a massive public rally during the visit and lay the foundation stones for key infrastructure projects, including the Rs 25,000-crore Guwahati–Barapani–Panchgram expressway and the proposed Silchar flyover.The 166.8-km greenfield four-lane access-controlled expressway, which is part of the NH-06, will be implemented by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Officials said tenders for the project have already been floated, wildlife board clearance has been secured and land acquisition is under way.The expressway is expected to reduce travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from around 9 hours to around 5 hours. The route will pass through Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya before entering Cachar in Assam. The project, which includes extensive tunnelling through hilly terrain, is targeted for completion by 2030.Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a 2.5-km flyover in Silchar that will connect Capital Point to Rangirkhari. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 700 crore. The tender process for the flyover project is expected to begin in Oct this year.With several major infrastructure projects in the pipeline, Modi’s visit is being viewed as a significant boost to connectivity and development initiatives in the Barak Valley, particularly ahead of the upcoming Assam assembly elections.
