PM Modi In Assam: Prime Minister Witnesses IAF Display As Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Rafale Take Off At Dibrugarh's Moran ELF After Historic Landing - VIDEOS

Dibrugarh: The Indian Air Force on Saturday conducted an air display at the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on Moran Bypass in Dibrugarh, showcasing fighter jets including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale. The display was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

PM Modi was earlier welcomed in Dibrugarh by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The ELF at Moran Bypass is the first such facility in Northeast India and has been developed in coordination with the Indian Air Force to allow military and civilian aircraft to land and take off during emergencies.

Designed as a dual-use infrastructure, the ELF can handle fighter aircraft weighing up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 74 tonnes. Officials said the facility will play a crucial role in emergency response, enabling swift deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters and meeting strategic requirements in the region.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate and flag off development projects worth over Rs 5,450 crore across Assam, aimed at strengthening connectivity, digital infrastructure, higher education and urban mobility in the Northeast. Around 1 pm, he will inspect the newly built Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu over the Brahmaputra, before inaugurating multiple projects at Lachit Ghat in Guwahati.

The Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore, is a six-lane extradosed prestressed concrete bridge connecting Guwahati with North Guwahati. The first of its kind in the Northeast, the bridge is expected to reduce travel time between the two sides to just seven minutes. Given the region’s high seismic activity, the bridge incorporates advanced safety features, including base isolation with friction pendulum bearings, high-performance stay cables and a Bridge Health Monitoring System for real-time condition assessment.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi will also inaugurate the National Data Centre for the Northeastern region at Amingaon in Assam’s Kamrup district. With a sanctioned load of 8.5 MW, the facility will host mission-critical government applications and function as a disaster recovery centre, strengthening the region’s digital infrastructure under the Digital India vision.

Another key highlight of the visit is the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Guwahati, which is expected to significantly boost higher and management education in the Northeast.

Additionally, over 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will be flagged off in Guwahati, Nagpur, Bhavnagar and Chandigarh. Officials said the rollout of e-bus services in these cities is expected to benefit more than 50 lakh citizens by providing clean, affordable and reliable public transport, improving urban mobility and overall quality of life.