(MENAFN- IANS) Guwahati, Sep 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a bioethanol plant and laid the foundation stone for a polypropylene unit at Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Assam's Golaghat on Sunday.

He also laid the foundation stone for various projects worth over Rs 18,530 crore in Darrang, which will give new impetus to the region's development.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, "Assam is a land that strengthens India's energy capabilities. The petroleum products originating from Assam contribute significantly to the nation's development. The government is committed to elevating this strength to new heights," Modi said.

Those who attended the gathering were excited and thrilled over the slew of developmental projects coming to their state. Some were overjoyed to listen to his speech for the first time, while others hoped and wished for his frequent visits to the state.

Hridya Ranjan Das said that earlier, not much good work was done for Assam, but it is happening under PM Modi's tenure.

“I am happy to listen to PM Modi's speech. We want him to keep doing good work for our country,” he said.

Mitali Devi expressed happiness at her first experience of seeing the Prime Minister from close quarters. She expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for allocating projects like the ring road and medical college to the state.

Addressing the huge turnout of people, PM Modi highlighted India's rapid strides in the field of green energy and renewable power generation and said that Assam will play a pivotal role in securing India's self-sustenance in energy needs.

He said that a decade ago, India lagged significantly in solar power production; however, today, it ranks among the top five countries globally in solar energy capacity.

“In the changing times, India requires alternative fuels to reduce dependence on oil and gas,” emphasised the PM, highlighting ethanol as one such viable option.

He further said that the new plant producing ethanol from bamboo was inaugurated today and emphasised that this initiative will greatly benefit farmers and tribal communities in Assam.

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