Guwahati: Assam gets its first Maritime Skill Development Centre for the northeastern region.  The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, launched it today at the Pandu terminal through virtual conferencing in Guwahati.

During the conference, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, said that the Northeast is undergoing "transformation via transportation" and that the frequent inauguration of large-scale projects in the area is proof of this.

He said that the Northeast would have already been on a growth trajectory since Independence if development there had continued at the current rate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually joined the event at Pandu terminal in Guwahati where CM Sarma was addressing.

At the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Maritime Skill Development Centre in Guwahati, which would provide local youths with improved employment possibilities.

He also laid the foundation for a ship-repairing facility in Guwahati that would compete with a facility of a same nature in Kolkata by saving ship owners money on fuel and labour expenses, increasing nearby auxiliary businesses, and creating jobs.

As part of the ceremony, the prime minister also laid the foundation for an elevated road that would connect Pandu Terminal to National Highway 27. It will enable freight vehicle travel around-the-clock.

MV Ganga Vilas, the world's longest river cruise, was also set off today by the prime minister. It will journey from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam through Dhaka.
According to the chief minister "Both railroads and roads have made development. Waterways are now in the spotlight, and this industry is now seeing significant growth ".

Mega projects are constantly launched across the Northeast, he noted, assuring the populace that progress is being made.

He asserted that during past administrations, such massive programmes were restricted to major cities, despite Guwahati and Dibrugarh serving as G20 conference locations.

" We believe that if the region had been given such a strong push for development since Independence, our situation would have already significantly improved", he asserted.

CM Sarma claimed that MV Ganga Vilas will make it possible for visitors to go to sites like Assamese tea metropolis Dibrugarh, Majuli Island, Kaziranga National Park, and Kamakhya Temple.

The tourists would always be given the utmost respect and courtesy, Sarma added.

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