Rs.830cr Singur projects inaugurated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has performed Bhoomi Pujan of the Rs.6,950 crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor Project (4-Laning of Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715) at Kaliabor, Assam, on 18 Jan, highlighting that the State’s development is opening new doors for the progress of the entire North East and is giving direction to the Act East Policy.
He emphasized, When Assam advances, the North East advances, and with the government’s efforts and the trust of the people, the region will reach new heights https://www.conexpoconagg.com/.”
The 86-km long Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project is an environmentally conscious National Highway project. It will feature 35 km of Elevated Wildlife Corridor that will pass through Kaziranga National Park, 21 km Bypass section and 30 km widening of the existing highway section of NH-715 from two to four lanes. The project aims to improve regional connectivity while ensuring protection of the park’s rich biodiversity.
The project will pass through Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts and will significantly improve connectivity to Upper Assam, particularly Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. The elevated wildlife corridor will ensure uninterrupted movement of animals, reduce human-wildlife conflict. It will also enhance road safety, reduce travel time and accident rates, and support growing passenger and freight traffic. As part of the project, Bypasses will be developed at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat that will help to decongest towns, improve urban mobility and enhance the quality of life for local residents https://www.bseindia.com/.
During the programme, the Prime Minister also flagged off 2 New Amrit Bharat Express trains – Guwahati (Kamakhya)-Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express and Dibrugarh-Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) Amrit Bharat Express. These new train services will strengthen rail connectivity between the Northeast and Northern India, enabling safer and more convenient travel for the people.
Separately, he also inaugurated, laid foundation stone, flagged off various development projects worth more than Rs.830 crore in Singur, West Bengal
He laid the foundation stone of the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, including an Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal and a Road Over Bridge.
Spanning an area of approximately 900 acres, Balagarh is being developed as a modern cargo handling terminal with an envisaged capacity of about 2.7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). The project includes the construction of two dedicated cargo handling jetties, one for containerised cargo and one for dry bulk cargo https://www.nseindia.com/.
The Balagarh project aims to significantly improve cargo evacuation efficiency by diverting heavy cargo movement away from congested urban corridors. This will enhance road safety, reduce vehicular congestion and pollution in Kolkata city, and contribute to an improved quality of life for residents. Improved multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency will also provide cost-effective market access to regional industries, MSMEs, and agricultural producers. The project is expected to generate substantial direct and indirect employment, benefiting local communities through job creation in logistics, terminal operations, transport services, maintenance, and allied activities.
The Prime Minister also launched a state-of-the-art Electric Catamaran in Kolkata. This is one of the 6 Electric Catamarans indigenously built for inland water transport by Cochin Shipyard Ltd. The 50-passenger hybrid electric aluminium catamaran, equipped with advanced electric propulsion systems and lithium-titanate battery technology, is capable of operating in fully electric zero-emission mode as well as in hybrid mode for extended endurance. The vessel will support urban river mobility, eco-tourism and last-mile passenger connectivity along the Hooghly River.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur new rail line. This line is an important part of the Tarkeshwar–Bishnupur new rail line project. Along with the new rail line, a new train service between Maynapur and Jayrambati, with a halt at Barogopinathpur, will also be flagged off. It will provide direct rail connectivity to the residents of Bankura district, making travel more affordable and convenient for daily commuters, students and pilgrims.
He flagged off three Amrit Bharat Express trains: Kolkata (Howrah) – Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express; Kolkata (Sealdah) – Banaras Amrit Bharat Express; Kolkata (Santragachi) – Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express.
The Prime Minister further highlighted that the more emphasis is laid on ports and the associated ecosystem, the more employment will be generated here. He stated that over the past 11 years, the Union Government has made major investments in the capacity expansion of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port. He added that under the Sagarmala scheme, roads have also been constructed to improve the connectivity of this port. He remarked that the results of these efforts are now becoming visible. The Prime Minister noted that last year Kolkata Port created new records in cargo handling https://ted.europa.eu/en/.
PM Modi remarked that the extended port gate system being developed in Balagarh will open new opportunities for Hooghly and surrounding areas. He highlighted that this will ease traffic and logistics pressure in Kolkata city. He stated that cargo movement will further increase through the waterway built on the Ganga.
The Prime Minister emphasized that this entire infrastructure will help transform Hooghly into a warehousing and trading hub, bringing hundreds of crores of new investment, generating thousands of jobs, benefiting small traders and transporters, and providing new markets for farmers and producers.
He also underlined that India today is laying strong emphasis on multi‑modal connectivity and green mobility, pointing out that seamless transportation, ports, river waterways, highways, and airports are being interconnected. “This is reducing both logistics costs and transportation time.”
Furthermore, the Prime Minister added that efforts are also being made to ensure that modes of transport are nature‑friendly.
“Hybrid electric boats will strengthen river transport and green mobility, making travel on the Hooghly easier, reducing pollution, and boosting river‑based tourism.” Fiinews.com
