PM Modi to Roll Out Farm, Rail and Fisheries Projects Across Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to West Bengal on 20 and 21 June, during which he will participate in Paschimbanga Divas celebrations, lead the national observance of International Yoga Day, and commission three indigenously built naval vessels.

The Prime Minister's visit will begin on Saturday afternoon at Tarakeswar in Hooghly district, where he will attend the state-level Paschimbanga Divas (West Bengal Day) celebrations. The event, themed "West Bengal: Heritage, Harmony and Development", will highlight the state's cultural heritage, social cohesion and developmental aspirations.

During the programme, Modi will launch, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for a series of projects spanning railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry. The initiatives are aimed at strengthening infrastructure, improving livelihoods and accelerating socio-economic growth across the state.

A key highlight of the event will be the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme. More than ₹18,880 crore will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of over 9.44 crore farmers nationwide. In West Bengal, over 45 lakh beneficiaries are expected to receive more than ₹900 crore, taking cumulative PM-KISAN disbursements in the state to over ₹15,000 crore.

The Prime Minister will also launch several major agricultural initiatives in West Bengal, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), AgriStack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the National Mission on Natural Farming, and the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.

Under PMFBY, nearly 50 lakh farmers across around 14 lakh hectares are expected to receive crop insurance coverage during 2026-27, with an insured value estimated at ₹28,140 crore. AgriStack will provide a unified digital platform for services such as fertiliser distribution, direct benefit transfers and procurement under the Minimum Support Price system.

The National Mission on Natural Farming will establish 346 farming clusters covering 17,300 hectares, while the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will focus on agricultural development in Purulia, Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Jhargram districts.

Among other projects, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a modernised fishing harbour at Fraserganj in South 24 Parganas, a new fish market in Birbhum's Sainthia, and Eastern India's first Regional Semen Production Laboratory and Semen Bank for Goats at Haringhata in Nadia district.

Railway infrastructure projects worth around ₹590 crore will also be launched. These include the inauguration of the Sankrail-Santragachi Link Line Project, the foundation stone laying for a new 300-bed divisional railway hospital at Howrah, and a road overbridge in Purba Medinipur district. Additionally, 49 rural road projects covering more than 315 kilometres under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-III) will be inaugurated.

On Sunday morning, the Prime Minister will lead the national celebration of the 12th International Day of Yoga from Kolkata's Red Road. He will join thousands of participants in the Common Yoga Protocol session and address the gathering.

This year's theme, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", emphasises yoga's role in promoting physical and mental well-being, emotional resilience and active ageing. According to official estimates, celebrations are being organised at nearly 2,500 locations worldwide, with participation from more than 210 Indian missions and posts.

Later in the day, Modi will commission three indigenously designed and built naval ships at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata - INS Dunagiri, an advanced stealth frigate; INS Sanshodhak, a large survey vessel; and INS Agray, an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft.

The vessels were designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata, with participation from more than 200 micro, small and medium enterprises. Officials said the ships contain over 75 per cent indigenous content and represent a significant boost to India's maritime capabilities and self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The Prime Minister is expected to address gatherings at all three major events during the visit.