Security was tightened in Purnea with 24-hour highway traffic restrictions, as PM Modi laid the foundation for Bihar’s largest private investment — a ₹25,000 crore thermal power project

Patna

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Purnea on Monday, just ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, to launch development projects worth more than ₹36,000 crore and address a public rally. His visit will also see the inauguration of a long-awaited airport terminal in Purnea, improving air connectivity in north Bihar.

A key highlight will be the launch of the National Makhana Board, announced earlier in this year’s Union budget. Bihar produces nearly 90% of the country’s makhana, and officials said the board will boost production, benefit farmers, and strengthen Bihar’s global presence in the sector.

Security in Purnea has been tightened, with restrictions on vehicular movement along highways for 24 hours. During his visit, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for Bihar’s biggest private sector project — a ₹25,000 crore thermal power plant at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur.

Other major announcements include Phase 1 of the ₹2,680 crore Kosi-Mechi Intra-State River Link Project, multiple railway projects, and new train flag-offs. The PM will also inaugurate a modern semen station under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, designed to produce five lakh sex-sorted semen doses annually.

Additionally, Modi will take part in Griha Pravesh ceremonies for nearly 41,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, both rural and urban. He will also distribute ₹500 crore in community investment funds to cluster-level federations under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

Officials said the visit underlines the government’s push for infrastructure, agriculture, housing, and rural development in Bihar.