Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dedicated to the nation an 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 Rs 526 crore to boost infrastructure on inland waterways on the 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), a release said.

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The Prime Minister announced that the work of building modern cruise terminals at the famous Neamati Ghat and Biswanath Ghat has also commenced from March 13.

He 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.

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The Prime Minister stated that the current government has not limited tourism to just sightseeing but has viewed it as a major opportunity for employment and development.

PM Modi noted that with this very vision, the possibilities of water tourism on the Brahmaputra River are being expanded.

The Prime Minister highlighted that once the cruise terminals are built, cruise operations on the Brahmaputra will advance further, and it will become even easier for tourists from India and around the world to reach Assam.

PM Modi stated that as cruise tourism grows, new employment opportunities will be created for local youth, artisans and handicraft workers will find new markets, and the income of small shopkeepers, boatmen, and people associated with hotels and transport will also increase.

"Tourism in Assam is no longer limited to just travel and sightseeing; it is becoming a new engine of local development and public prosperity," PM Modi asserted.

The programme was held at Jyoti-Bishnu Auditorium, Guwahati, in the presence of Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, among other leaders.

The Prime Minister has consistently recognised the immense potential of inland waterways as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective mode for passenger and cargo transport, the release said.

Under his leadership, a new phase of connectivity and growth has taken shape across the northeastern states through terminals, jetties and waterways-linked infrastructure that is transforming livelihoods and deepening India's Act East Policy commitments, it added.

PM Modi stated that Assam is today emerging as a model for the new future of India's North East, the Ashtalakshmi. He noted that the progress of Assam is giving new momentum to the entire North East. "We must work together for a Viksit Assam so that Assam emerges as a model state in the nation," he said.

PM Modi expressed his gratitude for the privilege of being on the sacred land of Maa Kamakhya on the eve of Navratri. "I have been blessed with the fortune of having your darshan on this pious land of Maa Kamakhya, just before Navratri begins," PM Modi said.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that 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 environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Strengthening them has established the path of transformation of India's logistics sector, unlocking new growth opportunities," Sonowal said.

The elevated road corridor connecting Pandu Port Complex to NH-27, built with an investment of Rs 180 crore, addresses the critical last-mile connectivity gap between one of NW-2's principal river terminals and the national highway network.

Engineered to bypass Guwahati's urban congestion, the corridor ensures seamless two-way access to Pandu Port, improving operational flexibility and port connectivity, reducing logistic costs considerably.

The Cruise Terminal at Biswanath Ghat, for which the foundation stone was laid on Friday, is part of a coordinated effort to build modern cruise infrastructure along the Brahmaputra (NW-2). The terminal will enhance passenger amenities, support river cruise operations and generate fresh economic opportunities for local communities in tourism, hospitality and handicrafts.

The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, for which the Bhoomi Pujan was performed, is being developed with an investment of Rs 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.

As per the release, 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 Rs 158 crore.

"These projects worth thousands of crores are creating new avenues of employment for Assam's youth and are boosting the state's prosperity," PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister highlighted that in the past decade, the government has undertaken a monumental initiative towards self-reliance.

Sonowal said the Brahmaputra has always been the lifeline of the Northeast, "but we never truly harnessed its potential as an engine of growth."

"Our dynamic Prime Minister Modi ji has changed that. Waterways offer a cost advantage which directly benefits farmers, traders and manufacturers across the Northeast. The re-energised waterways system in the region strengthens that economic artery at its most critical juncture," he said.

Sonowal noted that the upcoming cruise terminals at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati would act as new livelihood platforms for enriching thousands of families along the river.

"The upcoming cruise terminals at Biswanath Ghat and Neamati will act as new livelihood platforms for enriching thousands of families along the river. The Regional Centre of Excellence (RCoE) at Bogibeel will ensure this growth is sustainable by building the skilled human capital to expand this ecosystem for the benefit of the next generation. Thousands of our youths will now be able to equip themselves to be a part of the upcoming and booming maritime industry. Under Modiji's Act East Policy, the Brahmaputra is becoming an empowered conduit connecting Assam to Southeast Asia through a mode of transport that is green, inclusive and sustainable," Sonowal said.

Together, the four projects are designed to boost trade, tourism, skilling, employment generation, reduce logistic cost and facilitate regional and global connectivity along National Waterway-2, advancing the Centre's broader vision for developing Brahmaputra as a transformative logistics and tourism corridor for Assam and the wider Northeast. (ANI)

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