Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday began a two-day visit to India’s eastern region to inaugurate and launch a host of key developmental and infrastructure projects across West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. His scheduled trip to Sikkim, however, was cancelled due to inclement weather, officials concerned informed.
Modi was originally due to commence his tour from Sikkim, where he was to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the state’s formation under the theme Sikkim@50: Where Progress Meets Purpose and Nature Nurtures Growth. The event, themed Sunaulo, Samriddha and Samarth Sikkim, aimed to highlight the state’s achievements in blending natural preservation with cultural and economic progress.
The Prime Minister was to participate in the celebrations in Gangtok and release a commemorative coin, souvenir, and postal stamp to mark the occasion. He was also scheduled to lay the foundation stone of a ₹750-crore, 500-bed hospital in Namchi, inaugurate a new passenger ropeway in Gyalshing district, and unveil a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Atal Amrit Udyan in Gangtok.
However, officials confirmed that “PM’s trip to Sikkim has been cancelled due to inclement weather”. He will now attend the golden jubilee event virtually from New Delhi, they added.
Despite the weather disruption, Modi is expected to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for the aforementioned projects via video conferencing.
Later in the afternoon, the Prime Minister is scheduled to travel to West Bengal, where he will launch a key energy infrastructure project. In Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts, he will lay the foundation stone for a ₹1,010 crore City Gas Distribution (CGD) project. The initiative is projected to bring piped natural gas (PNG) to more than 2.5 lakh households and establish 19 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations for vehicles, aiming to boost energy access and eco-friendly mobility across the region.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), “This project is expected to bring clean fuel and create jobs in the region.”
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By Thursday evening, Modi will reach Bihar to inaugurate the newly built terminal at Patna airport. Constructed at a cost of ₹1,200 crore, the terminal will be capable of handling one crore passengers annually. He will also lay the foundation stone for a civil enclave at Bihta airport, located approximately 30 km from Patna, at an estimated cost of ₹1,410 crore. Bihta is rapidly emerging as an educational hub, home to IIT Patna and the proposed National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus.
On Friday, 30 May, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address a public meeting at Karakat in Bihar around 11 a.m., where he will inaugurate and launch infrastructure schemes valued at ₹48,520 crore.
Among the most significant of these projects will be the ₹29,930 crore Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project (Stage-II) in Aurangabad district. According to the PMO, the plant “will provide energy security, support industrial growth, and create jobs in Bihar and eastern India.”
Additionally, Modi will launch multiple transport projects, including the widening of the Patna–Arrah–Sasaram (NH-119A) and Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata (NH-319B) highways. A new Ganga bridge connecting Buxar and Bharauli will also be initiated to boost trade and travel.
Other announcements will include the four-laning of the Patna–Gaya–Dobhi highway (NH-22) worth ₹5,520 crore, and the construction of a new rail link between Son Nagar and Mohammad Ganj valued at over ₹1,330 crore.
In the concluding leg of his tour, the Prime Minister will visit Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., to unveil infrastructure and energy projects worth ₹20,900 crore.
These will include the Chunniganj to Kanpur Central Metro Rail segment under the Kanpur Metro Project. Estimated at ₹2,120 crore, the 14-station stretch will feature five underground stations and is expected to ease intra-city mobility.
Among major energy projects, Modi will inaugurate a 660 MW extension of the Panki Thermal Power Project (₹8,300 crore) and three 660 MW units of the Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (₹9,330 crore). New substations, including a 220 kV unit near the Yamuna Expressway and 132 kV substations in Greater Noida, will also be inaugurated.
Modi will also open two rail overbridges in Kanpur to decongest traffic and streamline the transport of coal and oil to thermal power plants.
In addition, a 40 million litre per day sewage treatment plant promoting water reuse and sanitation will be inaugurated in Kanpur to strengthen urban water management.
The Prime Minister’s visit will culminate with the distribution of certificates and cheques to beneficiaries under various social welfare schemes, including the PM Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojna and the National Livelihood Mission.
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