PM to inaugurate projects, address rally in Singur on second day of Bengal visit
Kolkata (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resume his two-day visit to West Bengal on Sunday, making a fresh poll pitch from the site of the abandoned Tata Nano car plant in Singur, amid a highly charged political atmosphere in the state ahead of the crucial assembly elections.
On his return to the state after an overnight stay in Assam, Modi is scheduled to inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and flag off various development projects worth over Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district, besides addressing a rally, where he is expected to sharpen the party’s narrative on industrialisation in Bengal.
The selection of Singur, observers feel, was made on account of its symbolic importance, where a violent anti-land grab movement nearly two decades ago spearheaded by Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, then in the opposition, against the erstwhile Left Front government, had forced Ratan Tata to pull the plug on the project and relocate it to Gujarat.
The BJP has promised to "bring the Tatas back to Singur" if voted to power, projecting the exit of the car project as a missed economic opportunity and a symbol of industrial stagnation under the TMC.
BJP leaders in Bengal hope Modi's Singur address will outline a broader vision for attracting big-ticket investments in Bengal, leveraging the enduring perception that the state has remained industry-starved since Tata Motors pulled out.
During the day, the PM is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, aimed at boosting inland water transport and regional connectivity.
“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,” a note from the PMO stated.
To support urban river mobility, eco-tourism and last-mile passenger connectivity along the Hooghly River, Modi will launch a state-of-the-art 50-passenger electric catamaran in Kolkata, which is one of the six such vessels indigenously built for inland water transport by the Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
The Prime Minister will also flag off three Amrit Bharat trains from Singur, connecting Kolkata to Delhi, Banaras and Chennai, strengthening the rail connectivity of West Bengal with other states.
On Saturday, Modi launched a slew of rail and road infrastructure projects for the state from Malda, and flagged off the first set of Vande Bharat sleeper trains between Howrah and Guwahati.
Addressing a public rally from the same venue, he made infiltration the central plank of his offensive against the TMC government, alleging that large-scale illegal migration has altered the state's demography, fuelled riots, and thrived due to the ruling party's "patronage and syndicate raj".
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are due in the next few months.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
