Itanagar/Agartala, Sep 16 (NationPress) Following a two-day trip to Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura on September 22, as confirmed by officials on Tuesday.

An official from Itanagar disclosed that during his day-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister will inaugurate projects amounting to several thousand crores. He will lay the foundation stones for the 1,830-km Frontier Highway project, two hydroelectric projects, and kick off the second phase of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) from Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar, where he is expected to address a large public gathering.

Additionally, he will virtually inaugurate an integrated convention center in Tawang.

According to the official, the proposed Frontier Highway will run parallel to the McMahon Line, stretching from Bomdila in West Kameng district to Vijaynagar in Changlang district. This ambitious highway aims to enhance national security and significantly improve border connectivity, the official stated.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister will also virtually lay the foundation for the 186-MW Tato-I hydroelectric project and the 240-MW Heo hydroelectric project on the Yarjep River in Shi Yomi district. Upon completing the second phase of the VVP, 122 border villages will receive all-weather roads, a 4G telecom network, and on-grid electrification.

Among the 122 villages, 67 are located along the India-Myanmar border, and 55 are situated along the India-Bhutan border with Arunachal Pradesh. The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated Rs 2,205 crore for the VVP.

The VVP aims to facilitate comprehensive development in villages near international land borders (ILBs), excluding the Northern border already encompassed by VVP-I. With a total budget of Rs 6,839 crore, the program will be executed in select strategic villages across states/UTs including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal until FY 2028-29.

The program's objective is to improve living conditions and create sufficient livelihood opportunities, ensuring safe and prosperous borders, controlling cross-border crime, and integrating the border population as 'eyes and ears of the border guarding forces,' essential for internal security.

The official noted that various preparations, including road beautification and stage construction, are currently underway. Security measures have been intensified in the capital city ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.

On the same day (September 22), after his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister will head to Tripura.

In Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the redeveloped Tripura Sundari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas revered by Hindus, located in southern Tripura's Udaipur.

Chief Minister Saha mentioned that the Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Agartala on the afternoon of September 22, followed by a visit to the Gomati district headquarters in Udaipur to inaugurate the redeveloped Tripura Sundari temple, situated 65 km south of Agartala.

“After inaugurating the revamped temple and its surroundings, PM Modi will offer puja at the Kali temple. Post-inauguration and puja, he will return to Agartala and subsequently depart for Delhi. Currently, there are no plans for a public address by the Prime Minister,” the Chief Minister informed the media.

He added, “I previously invited the Prime Minister for the temple inauguration.”

According to a Tourism Department official, under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme from the Union Tourism Ministry, the 524-year-old Tripura Sundari temple has undergone redevelopment at a cost exceeding Rs 52 crore, with the Tripura government contributing an additional Rs 7 crore to the initiative.