Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a newly constructed Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on the Dibrugarh-Moran stretch of National Highway-127 in Assam on February 14, marking the first highway-based airstrip in the Northeast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses members of the Indian diaspora during a community event in Malaysia. (File photo) (PTI)Addressing a press conference, Sarma said the Prime Minister’s plane would land on the national highway and later take off from the four-lane highway airstrip at Moran instead of using the runway at Chabua Air Force Station.
“This will be a historic moment for us,” the chief minister said, adding that the 4.2-km reinforced concrete stretch is designed to serve as an emergency runway for both military and civilian aircraft.
The Dibrugarh district administration has imposed restrictions on public and vehicular movement in the area as part of security measures, said District Commissioner Vikram Kairi.
An aerial display by the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planned to coincide with the inauguration, with several fighter jets including Sukhoi and Rafale jets expected to take part in the airshow, with some landing at the facility, Sarma said, adding that the display could last 30-40 minutes.
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Moran ELF holds strategic importance due to its location in Upper Assam, about 300 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and about 150 km from the Myanmar border, Pangsau Pass.
On Wednesday, an IAF transport aircraft successfully landed on the Moran Highway stretch, marking an important step in operational readiness, Chabua Air Force Station officials said.
CM Sarma said that after Moran’s event, the Prime Minister will fly to Guwahati for the next leg of his day-long visit to the poll-bound state, the CM said. In Guwahati, Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate a new bridge over the Brahmaputra river and spend some time walking on it, which the chief minister described as an ‘architectural marvel’ constructed by state engineers.
From nearby Lachit Ghat, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Indian Institute of Management, Guwahati’s temporary campus and an AI-enabled hyperscale data centre, he said. “100 EV buses will also be flagged off by the Prime Minister for Gauhati,” Sarma added.
Later in the day, the prime minister is scheduled to address BJP booth-level workers in Khanpara before returning to New Delhi the same evening, Sarma said.
Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Assam in April-May this year.
