PM to lead Yoga Day events in Kolkata; launch projects in Bengal, Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to West Bengal and Odisha on June 20 and 21, featuring a packed schedule of public engagements, development initiatives, cultural programmes and national events. The visit will include participation in the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations in Kolkata, commissioning of three indigenously built naval ships, launch of major infrastructure projects, and engagements alongside President Droupadi Murmu in Odisha.

On Saturday, PM Modi will begin his West Bengal programme by attending Paschimbanga Divas celebrations at Tarakeswar in Hooghly district. During the event, he will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple projects spanning railways, agriculture, rural development, fisheries and animal husbandry.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the initiatives are intended to improve infrastructure, support livelihoods, strengthen farmer welfare and accelerate socio-economic progress across the state.

A major highlight of the day will be the release of the 23rd instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). Under this phase, more than Rs 18,880 crore will be transferred directly to over 9.44 crore farmers nationwide.

In West Bengal, more than Rs 900 crore will reach over 45 lakh beneficiaries. With this transfer, cumulative PM-KISAN assistance in the state will exceed Rs 15,000 crore, while total national disbursement since the scheme’s launch in 2019 will cross Rs 4.46 lakh crore.

The PM will also launch several agriculture-focused initiatives in the state, including the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Agri Stack under the Digital Agriculture Mission, the National Mission on Natural Farming, and the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana.

For 2026-27, the crop insurance programme is expected to cover nearly 50 lakh farmers across approximately 14 lakh hectares in West Bengal, supported through premium subsidies and an estimated insured value of Rs 28,140 crore.

Among the projects scheduled for inauguration are the upgraded fishing harbour at Fraserganj in South 24 Parganas, the newly developed Modern Fish Market at Sainthia in Birbhum, and the Regional Semen Production Laboratory and Semen Bank for Goats at Haringhata in Nadia district. Railway projects worth nearly Rs 590 crore will also be launched.

On Sunday morning, PM Modi will lead the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations in Kolkata and address participants. The theme of International Day of Yoga 2026, "Yoga for Healthy Ageing", highlights the role of yoga in promoting physical health, mental well-being, emotional resilience and active ageing, and in improving quality of life.

Since the global observance began in 2015 following the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of India’s proposal, PM Modi has led Yoga Day events from cities including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Mysuru, New York, Srinagar and Visakhapatnam.

Later in the day, PM Modi will commission INS Dunagiri, INS Sanshodhak and INS Agray at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata. The PMO said all three vessels have been designed and built in India.

In Odisha, Modi and President Droupadi Murmu will visit Pahadpur village in Mayurbhanj to offer prayers at the sacred groves Santhali Jahera and Ho Jahera. They will also visit a school and a skill development centre, highlighting efforts to improve education, skills and rural empowerment.

The leaders will later attend a programme in Rairangpur marking two years of the BJP government in Odisha. During the event, the prime minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore across sectors including energy, industrial infrastructure and road connectivity.

The PMO said these initiatives are expected to strengthen infrastructure, improve connectivity, boost energy security and create employment opportunities across the state.

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