PM Modi announces massive Rs 5,400 cr infra boost for Bengal; Focuses on gas, rail projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched development projects worth ₹5,400 crore in West Bengal, signalling a major push for infrastructure, energy and connectivity upgrades in the state. Addressing a gathering in Durgapur, PM Modi said India’s transformation into a developed country hinges on the scale and pace of its infrastructure growth, now drawing global attention.

“Today, the entire world is discussing the resolve for a developed India. Behind this, there are changes visible in India, on which the edifice of a developed India is being built. A major aspect of these changes is India's infrastructure,” he said.

As part of the Centre’s broader energy vision, Modi reiterated the goal of ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’, citing the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG) project as a key enabler for industrial growth and equitable energy access in eastern India.

He laid the foundation stone for BPCL’s ₹1,950-crore City Gas Distribution project in Bankura and Purulia, aimed at delivering piped natural gas (PNG) to homes and industries, and compressed natural gas (CNG) at retail stations, while generating local employment.

Modi also dedicated the ₹1,190-crore Durgapur–Kolkata section of the Durgapur–Haldia Natural Gas Pipeline, which passes through Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly and Nadia districts. The pipeline, built under PMUG, is expected to deliver a clean and consistent gas supply to lakhs of households and industries.

Further, in a move to reinforce India’s clean energy agenda, the prime minister inaugurated Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems at Durgapur Steel and Raghunathpur Thermal Power Stations operated by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). Built at a combined cost of over ₹1,457 crore, these systems are designed to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions and improve air quality in surrounding areas.

In the railways sector, Modi inaugurated the doubling of the 36-km Purulia–Kotshila rail line, completed at a cost exceeding ₹390 crore, which is expected to ease freight movement and enhance connectivity in the region.

(With PTI inputs)