Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marked three years in power, on Friday, as he inaugurated the country's longest bridge that spans the vast Brahmaputra River in Assam.
The 9.15 km (5.7 mile) Dhola-Sadiya bridge, strong enough to carry a 60-tonne battle tank, will reduce travel times from Assam to the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh whose territory is partly claimed by China.
"The inauguration of the bridge marks the end of a long wait for the people of this area," Modi's office quoted him as saying in a speech, adding the bridge "opens the door for economic development on a big scale".
After leading Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a landslide victory in 2014, Modi is stll very popular, as his party swept Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, in the recently concluded state elections and looks all set to win in 2019.
Upgrading India's infrastructure, is Modi's priority, and from the looks of it, developing India's remote northeast beyond the so-called Chicken's Neck - a narrow strip of territory around Bangladesh is his vision, as well.
"The inauguration of the bridge marks the end of a long wait for the people of this area," Modi's office quoted him as saying in a speech, adding the bridge "opens the door for economic development on a big scale".
After leading Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a landslide victory in 2014, Modi is stll very popular, as his party swept Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, in the recently concluded state elections and looks all set to win in 2019.
Upgrading India's infrastructure, is Modi's priority, and from the looks of it, developing India's remote northeast beyond the so-called Chicken's Neck - a narrow strip of territory around Bangladesh is his vision, as well.