Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Assam on Feb 14 is set to make history, with his aircraft scheduled to touch down on the northeast’s first highway-based emergency landing strip along the Dibrugarh–Moran stretch.This will be Modi’s third visit to the poll-bound state in as many months.
CM Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the plan, saying, “The Prime Minister will not land at the Dibrugarh airport. Instead, his flight will land on a highway at Moran and he will spend some time there.”Defence PRO Lt Col M Rawat said a military aircraft will carry the PM from Guwahati, with preparations underway for the emergency strip landing. The landing strip on NH-127 is 4.2 km long.The visit will also feature a dramatic aerial display. “Fighter aircraft, including Rafale and Sukhoi jets will land on the road in his presence and the demonstration will last 30 to 40 minutes,” Sarma said.Authorities have cleared and secured the designated runway portion of the highway, removing central dividers, fencing both sides to prevent entry of people and animals, and dismantling temporary roadside shops to ensure safety.Beyond the spectacle, Modi’s itinerary is packed with developmental milestones. Sarma said the visit carries “multiple objectives, both developmental and organisational” and revealed that the Prime Minister will return in March to inaugurate more projects.Modi on arrival in Guwahati will inaugurate the Kumar Bhaskar Varma bridge connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati. The bridge is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity across the Brahmaputra.He will also launch academic classes at the new Palasbari campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), flag off 100 electric buses for Guwahati, and inaugurate a National Informatics Centre (NIC) data centre to strengthen digital infrastructure.Later in the day, Modi will attend a BJP booth sammelan at Khanapara, interacting directly with party workers and grassroots leaders.
