PM to lay foundation for over 25 projects worth Rs 5,500 cr in Manipur, Tripura

Agartala/Imphal, Jan 3 (IANS) During his visit to two northeastern states -- Manipur and Tripura -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday inaugurate and lay the foundation for over 25 projects worth Rs 5,500 crore.

The Prime Minister will also virtually kick-start the campaign for the Assembly elections in Manipur and rejuvenate the party in Tripura ahead of next year's polls.

Heavy security arrangements have been put in place in the two BJP-ruled states in view of the Prime Minister's visit, and general traffic restrictions have been imposed on several important highways for the smooth passage of the Prime Minister's convoy.

Modi will first visit Imphal and address a public gathering at the palace compound in Imphal East district and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 22 projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore.

From Imphal, the Prime Minister will go to Agartala where he will inaugurate the new integrated terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, built at a cost of about Rs 450 crore. He will also launch two important schemes in Tripura -- Mukhyamantri Tripura Gram Samriddhi Yojana and Project Mission 100 of Vidyajyoti Schools.

The visit of the Prime Minister to poll-bound Manipur will further step up the political activities before the elections.

Elections to the 60-seat Manipur Assembly are likely to be held in February-March along with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa.

According to an official statement, the Prime Minister would lay the foundation stone for national highways with a project cost of more than Rs 1,700 crore in Manipur in line with the PM's vision to improve connectivity in all parts of the country.

More than 2,350 mobile towers built at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore will be dedicated to the public by the Prime Minister to further improve mobile connectivity in the region.

In Manipur, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art cancer hospital and inaugurate a newly-built 200-bed Covid hospital.

The PM will also lay the foundation for the Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training to boost employment opportunities.

He will also lay the foundation for the Manipur Institute of Performing Arts, the idea for which was first mooted in 1990 but it could not materialise for many years.

BJP leaders and other functionaries, including Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his Tripura counterpart Biplab Kumar Deb, are personally supervising all the arrangements for the Prime Minister's day-long tour.