PM Modi to lay foundation stone for Bhutan rail link in Assam’s Kokrajhar on March 13

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on March 13 lay the foundation stone for a landmark railway project linking Assam’s Kokrajhar with Bhutan, a move that is being seen as a major strategic and developmental leap for India’s Northeast.

 

The programme will be held at Greenfield ground in Kokrajhar, where preparations are in full swing ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. The proposed rail link is expected to boost cross-border connectivity, deepen economic engagement with Bhutan, and unlock new growth avenues for Assam and the wider Northeast.

 

Beyond the Bhutan rail link, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to inaugurate several key development initiatives during his visit, underscoring the Centre’s focus on accelerating infrastructure expansion in the region.

 

Senior state and regional leaders have begun groundwork to ensure the event proceeds seamlessly. Assam Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Hagrama Mohilary visited the Greenfield venue on Monday to review preparations. The delegation inspected arrangements related to security, logistics, stage construction, and public participation.

 

A high-level coordination meeting was convened at the BTC Secretariat, where officials from multiple departments discussed security protocols, traffic regulation plans, crowd management, and administrative coordination. Authorities are working to ensure smooth movement in and around Kokrajhar town, anticipating a large public turnout.

 

The railway link project is expected to significantly enhance trade, tourism, and people-to-people contact between India and Bhutan. Strategically, it also reinforces India’s efforts to strengthen connectivity in border regions and integrate the Northeast more closely with neighbouring countries under its broader regional outreach policy.

 

For the Bodoland Territorial Region, the project represents more than just a rail line. It signals renewed central attention to infrastructure-led development, employment generation, and economic integration. If executed on schedule, the Kokrajhar-Bhutan rail corridor could transform the region into a key gateway for cross-border commerce.