On the eve of his visit to Durgapur where he will launch several development projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched an attack on Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, claiming “West Bengal is suffering due to TMC misrule”.
In a post on X on Thursday evening, the Prime Minister wrote: “People are seeing the BJP with hope and are convinced that only the BJP can deliver on development.”
He also urged people to join a BJP rally at Nehru Stadium in Durgapur.
This will be Modi’s second visit to West Bengal in less than two months, where Assembly elections are due early next year. In the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terror outfits in Pakistan, the Prime Minister had visited Alipurduar in North Bengal on May 29.
“The Prime Minister will arrive from Bihar, where he will launch several projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore. After arriving in Durgapur, the PM will first take part in a government programme where he will launch various projects. Then he will address a public meeting where senior leaders of the BJP will be in attendance,” a senior BJP leader said.
The Prime Minister’s visit to Durgapur, a BJP stronghold, comes just three days ahead of TMC’s Sahid Divas (Martyrs’ Day) mega rally in Kolkata, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to set her party’s agenda for the next year’s Assembly election. The TMC, which has been in power in West Bengal for nearly 15 years, will be seeking a mandate for its fourth consecutive term.
The PM’s visit and speech will be keenly watched in the light of the TMC’s ongoing campaign against the alleged targeting of Bengali migrants in BJP-ruled states.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has been consistently and forcefully hitting out at the BJP and the Central government over the issue, and held a protest march in Kolkata on Wednesday.
CROSSHEAD: Projects to be launched
From oil and gas power to road and rail infrastructure, Prime Minister Modi is set to inaugurate, dedicate, and lay foundation stones for multiple projects.
Key among them is the foundation stone-laying for Bharat Petroleum City Gas Distribution (CGD) project in Bankura and Purulia districts with an investment of approximately Rs 1,950 crore. “This project aims to bring PNG connections to homes, businesses, and industries, establish CNG retail outlets, and generate employment,” an official said.
The PM will also dedicate the 132 km Durgapur-Kolkata section of the Durgapur-Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, which is a part of the ambitious Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline, also known as the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) project. This section, costing over Rs 1,190 crore, traverses through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Nadia districts, promising natural gas supply to households.
In a move towards cleaner energy, PM Modi will also dedicate the Retrofitting Pollution Control System – Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems at Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station of Damodar Valley Corporation. These projects, worth over Rs 1,457 crore, are expected to facilitate cleaner energy production and create job opportunities.
Rail infrastructure will also receive a boost with the dedication of the double Purulia – Kotshila Rail Line (36 km) in Purulia, a project valued at over Rs 390 crore. This upgrade is set to enhance rail connectivity for industries in Jamshedpur, Bokaro, and Dhanbad with Ranchi and Kolkata, streamlining goods movement and reducing travel times.
Additionally, two road-over bridges (ROBs) constructed under the Setu Bharatam Programme and costing over Rs 380 crore, will be inaugurated at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman, aiming to improve connectivity and reduce railway crossing accidents.
The enhanced rail connectivity is expected to facilitate industrial freight movements between hubs such as Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Ranchi, and Kolkata, ensuring faster logistics and reduced travel time.