Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stones for the Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor and other healthcare initiatives during his scheduled visit to the state on Saturday.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media that the Maa Kamakhya Corridor project is poised to revolutionise the religious and cultural landscape in the region.

Named Maa Kamakhya Divyalok Pariyojana, the Kamakhya Corridor appears to be a replica of the Kashi-Vishwanath Temple Corridor in Varanasi.

With a budget allocation of Rs 498 crore, the project aims to upgrade the infrastructure surrounding the revered Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.

The PM-DevINE scheme, unveiled in the Union Budget 2022-23, concentrates on the rapid and comprehensive development of the North-East Region. Initially endowed with a sum of Rs 1,500 crore, the scheme seeks to finance infrastructure and social development projects tailored to the specific needs of the states. It is not designed to replace existing Central and State Schemes but rather to fill gaps in various sectors, Sarma added.

The total approved outlay for the PM-DevINE scheme from 2022-23 to 2025-26 is Rs 6,600 crore. The scheme empowers states and other agencies to propose projects based on the identified needs of the North-Eastern states.

The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also lay the foundation stones for major healthcare initiatives in the state on 3 February. The focal point of the PM’s visit is the extensive renovation of the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCh), which is poised to emerge as the largest medical centre in eastern India.

Outlining the ambitious project, Sarma revealed plans to transform the current GMCh building into a cutting-edge facility capable of accommodating approximately 3,500 patients at a time.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 3,250 crore and its objective is to construct a state-of-the-art hospital to meet the growing healthcare demands in the region.

Besides the GMCh project, Prime Minister Modi would also lay the foundation stone for the Karimganj Medical College in Ratabari, Sarma added.