Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Assam on Saturday to inaugurate the Northeast’s first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Moran bypass in Upper Assam, besides launching several major infrastructure projects in capital Guwahati.
On his fourth visit to the state since September 14, Modi will land at the newly built ELF on the four-lane Moran bypass, where he will witness aerial displays by fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters.
The ELF, developed in coordination with the Indian Air Force, has been designed to support landing and take-off of both military and civil aircraft during emergencies, an official statement said on Friday.
“It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast. Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF can handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight,” the statement said.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the facility marks a new phase in strategic connectivity. From Moran, Modi will fly to Guwahati to launch development projects worth ₹5,450 crore and inaugurate a bridge over the Brahmaputra.
According to a defence statement, the ELF on the Moran bypass in Dibrugarh district will open a designated stretch of highway as an alternative runway during contingencies, calling it a development of major strategic significance.
Trial runs on the 4.2-km stretch at Jatiyani began on February 8 and concluded on Thursday. Security has been tightened in the area.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the six-lane Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu over the Brahmaputra, built at a cost of about ₹3,030 crore, connecting Guwahati with North Guwahati. The bridge is expected to reduce travel time between the two areas to around seven minutes from 45 minutes to an hour.
Modi will also inaugurate the National Data Centre for the Northeast at Amingaon in Kamrup district.