Foundation stone to be laid for IARI-Assam

In the last minute development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to lay the foundation stone of newly approved Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) at Gogamukh in Assam's Dheemaji district on Friday.

According to sources, earlier it was decided that the PM would lay the stone of IARI through video-conferencing from Guwahati, but later on, it was confirmed by the PMO that the PM would be visiting Dheemaji.

Notably, Modi would be in Guwahati to inaugurate India's longest bridge that will connect Assam to Arunachal Pradesh over the Lohit river. The bridge help in reducing travel time between the two states from six hours to one hour.

According to sources, the PM expressed his willingness to be present on the occasion as its NDA government's one of the other major achievements. The move would help BJP in making inroads in north-eastern states.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has reached Dheemaji, which is about 500 km away from Guwahati, to take stock of the preparedness.

Singh said that the IARI-Assam would be a post-graduate institute of higher learning in agricultural education.