Kolkata | Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in West Bengal on Saturday on a two-day visit, during which he will join Paschimbanga Divas celebrations, lead the main event of the International Day of Yoga from Kolkata, and commission three indigenously built naval ships.
Modi will join the state-level Paschimbanga Divas celebrations at Tarakeswar in Hooghly district in the afternoon after arriving from neighbouring Odisha. The programme will showcase Bengal's historical contribution to nation-building and its cultural legacy.
"The theme for this year's Paschimbanga Divas -- West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony and Development -- reflects the state's cultural richness, social cohesion and developmental aspirations," an official statement said.
During the event, Modi will unveil a series of development projects spanning railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry.
He will roll out several flagship central schemes in the state, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Agri Stack, National Mission on Natural Farming and Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.
He will also release the 23rd instalment of the PM-Kisan scheme, involving a direct benefit transfer of Rs 18,880 crore to more than 9.44 crore farmers across the country.
"In West Bengal, over Rs 900 crore will be credited to more than 45 lakh beneficiaries. With this instalment, the cumulative PM-Kisan disbursement in the state will cross Rs 15,000 crore," the statement said.
As part of efforts to strengthen fisheries infrastructure, Modi will inaugurate the modernised and expanded fishing harbour at Fraserganj in South 24 Parganas and a newly-built modern fish market at Sainthia in Birbhum district.
The projects are aimed at improving post-harvest management and providing better marketing facilities for fish producers and traders.
The PM will also lay the foundation stone for railway projects worth around Rs 590 crore. These include the Sankrail-Santragachi Link Line project in Howrah district, a 300-bed New Divisional Railway Hospital at Howrah and a road overbridge between Haur and Radhamohanpur in Purba Medinipur district.
In addition, he will inaugurate 49 road infrastructure projects developed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III), improving rural connectivity across more than 315 km in various districts of the state.
Modi is scheduled to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata before leading the 12th International Day of Yoga celebrations from the iconic Red Road on Sunday morning.
This year's theme is 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing', highlighting the role of yoga in promoting physical health, mental well-being, emotional resilience and active ageing, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life, the statement said.
The PM will address the gathering and participate in the yoga session along with thousands of people.
Yoga Day celebrations are being organised across nearly 2,500 locations worldwide, with participation from more than 210 Indian Missions and Posts, the statement said.
Later on Sunday, Modi will commission three indigenously designed and built naval ships -- advanced stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, survey vessel INS Sanshodhak, and anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft INS Agray.
These inductions will significantly bolster the nation's operational capabilities, enhance maritime domain awareness, and strengthen the security of India's coastal waters against geopolitical threats, the statement said.
All three ships were designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed in Kolkata by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), with extensive participation by Indian industry, including more than 200 MSMEs, it said.
