• Puri rail service, 300-bed hospital: PM Modi to unveil Rs 820-crore projects for West Bengal
    Indian Express | 21 June 2026
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will unveil a grand development package worth approximately Rs 820 crore for West Bengal, on the sidelines of the ‘Paschimbanga Divas’ function in Hooghly.

    PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the state, will participate in Paschimbanga Divas (West Bengal Day) celebrations being held at Hooghly’s Tarakeswar, a place of historic significance associated with Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

    During the programme, the prime minister will launch and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects, spanning the sectors of Railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries, and animal husbandry.

    PM Modi, who will arrive at Tarakeswar at 3.15 pm, will announce a massive railway infrastructure overhaul valued at approximately Rs 590 crore, specifically engineered to reinforce connectivity, elevate mobility, and enhance public welfare across the region. A major highlight will be the inauguration of rail service between Nabadwip in West Bengal and Puri in Odisha, a major demand by the devotees of Jagannath.

    Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and other dignitaries will be present on the occasion.

    State-of-the-art 300-bed Railway Hospital

    As a major cornerstone of this infrastructure layout, Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art, 300-bed New Divisional Railway Hospital in Howrah, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 99 crore. This modern healthcare facility will be comprehensively equipped with advanced diagnostic setups, cutting-edge medical systems, and specialized clinical services, bringing world-class healthcare access directly to thousands of hardworking railway employees, pensioners, and their families.

    ROB between Haur and Radhamohanpur

    To eliminate traffic bottlenecks and augment public safety, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone for a vital Road Over Bridge between Haur and Radhamohanpur in Purba Medinipur, executed for Rs 71 crore to facilitate a congestion-free, smooth flow of everyday passengers and commercial cargo logistics.

    Additionally, the Prime Minister will formally dedicate the strategically vital Sankrail-Santragachi Link Line in Howrah to the nation. Developed through a major investment of Rs 421 crore, this strategic link line is a critical engineering addition that will dramatically bolster operational capacity, maximize regional train movement, support escalating logistics demands, reduce daily commuting times, and drastically push West Bengal’s transport framework onto a high-speed growth trajectory.

    23rd installment of PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi

    Simultaneously, PM Modi is set to spark an unprecedented rural and agricultural revolution from Tarakeswar by officially executing the nationwide release of the highly anticipated 23rd installment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi, which directly deposits critical financial aid into the bank accounts of millions of farmers. In a parallel move to digitize and insulate the state’s crop patterns against heavy climatic disruptions, the prime minister will launch the pathbreaking Digital Agriculture Mission in West Bengal alongside the rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana / Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme.

    National Mission on Natural Farming

    Driven by a vision of healthy and sustainable cultivation, the prime minister will further launch the National Mission on Natural Farming in West Bengal and initiate the targeted Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to optimize output. Transitioning to rural and coastal development, Modi will inaugurate over 315 Kilometres of pristine rural road length constructed across various remote districts under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III), instantly bridging the gap between villages and urban economic centres.

    Advanced goat semen production lab

    Finally, reinforcing the state’s livestock and blue economy, the prime minister will inaugurate a highly advanced goat semen production laboratory and semen bank at Haringhata in Nadia district, alongside a modern, capacity-expanded fishing harbour at Frasergunj and a state-of-the-art fish market at Sainthia in Birbhum district.

    On Friday, PM Modi posted on X, “I will be attending various programmes in West Bengal on the next two days, 20th and 21st. Tomorrow, 20th June, is particularly significant as we are celebrating West Bengal Day. The programme will be held at Tarkeshwar in Hooghly district. This place is steeped in heritage due to its association with Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and his efforts to preserve the culture of West Bengal. At Tarkeshwar, various development works will be launched.”

  • Link to this news (Indian Express)