Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Kaziranga National Park. PM Modi, who will be on a two-day visit to Assam, is scheduled to visit the famed park, a UNESCO world heritage site.


Chief Minister Sarma said that PM Modi will arrive at Kaziranga on Friday, where he will spend the night, and embark on a visit to the Kaziranga National Park on Saturday morning.


He said that it will be the first time a Prime Minister of India will stay at Kaziranga, and also visit the famed park, which is best known for housing the world’s highest population of the endangered one-horned rhinoceros. 


“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will stay at Kaziranga on March 8. Next morning, he will visit the Kaziranga National Park. As far as I know, no Prime Minister of India has ever visited the park. I also don’t remember any Prime Minister ever staying at Kaziranga,” Chief Minister Sarma said.  


Chief Minister Sarma added that PM Modi’s visit to Kaziranga will be a milestone in putting Assam in the tourism map.


Meanwhile, preparations are underway in full swing at Kaziranga for PM Modi’s visit. Authorities are taking necessary measures to ensure all arrangements are completed on time. The guest house, where the Prime Minister is likely to stay, has been given a completely new look.


The Eastern Assam Wildlife Division has announced closure of jeep safari and elephant rides for visitors at the Kaziranga range of the park between Thursday and Saturday noon. While jeep safari will remain closed from Thursday to forenoon of Saturday, elephant rides will remain suspended on Friday and Saturday. However, both jeep safari and elephant ride will remain operational for visitors in other ranges of the park during this period.