The Vande Bharat Express connecting Howrah and New Jalpaiguri, gateway to the North East as well as several development projects may be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually on Friday.

Prime Minister Modi who was to flag off the train and launch development projects worth Rs 7,800 crore in the state had to rush to Ahmedabad to attend to the last rites of his mother Hiraben, who passed away earlier this morning.

However, officials said he may join in the launch programs through video-conferencing.

The projects which are to be launched include? multiple sewerage infrastructure projects worth over Rs 2,550 crore.

The Joka -Taratala stretch of Kolkata Metro’s Purple line, and several other railway projects including redevelopment work at the New Jalpaiguri railway station are also supposed to be inaugurated Friday.

A National Institute of Water and Sanitation named after BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee was to be inaugurated as well.

Modi was to also chair the second meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC) in Kolkata.