Silchar | Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled projects worth Rs 23,550 crore in Assam's Silchar town on Saturday, ahead of the assembly elections.

The PM took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for the Rs 22,864-crore access-controlled expressway between Silchar in Cachar district and Shillong in Meghalaya, the first of its kind in the Northeast.

The 166-km four-lane greenfield high-speed corridor will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Silchar from 295 km to 252 km, cutting travel time from 8.5 hours to around 5 hours, officials said.

Modi also took part in the 'bhoomi poojan' for an elevated corridor on NH-306, from Trunk Road near Capital Point to Rangirkhari Point in Silchar, which will be constructed at Rs 565 crore.

This project aims to alleviate congestion on one of Silchar's busiest roads, improve links with neighbouring states such as Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, and contribute to the economic development of the Barak Valley, officials said.

The PM also laid the foundation stone for the Rs 122-crore College of Agriculture at Patharkandi in Karimganj district.

These are part of projects worth Rs 47,800 crore that the PM unveiled in the state since Friday.

Assembly elections in Assam are expected to be held in April, with the ruling BJP-led NDA eyeing a third straight term in power.