Centre allocates Rs 8533 crore to improve rail, air and road connectivity in North Eastern states

The central government has allocated funds worth Rs 8533 crore to complete rail, air and road projects in the North Eastern states to strengthen the connectivity in the region.

Rail Connectivity

A total of 19 railway infrastructure projects, falling fully/partly in North Eastern States, covering a total length of 1909 km at a cost of Rs.81,941 crore have been undertaken and are at different stages of planning/approval/execution. Out of these, 482 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs.37,713 crore has been incurred upto March,2023.

Air connectivity

Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched regional connectivity scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on 21.10.2016 to enhance regional connectivity across the country from unserved and under-served regions in the country and making air travel affordable to masses. Airport at Rupsi, Tezu, Tezpur, Pasighat, Jorhat, Lilabari, Shillong, Pakyong, Itanagar and Dimapur involving 64 routes have been operationalized under UDAN in the North Eastern Region. There were nine operational airports in 2014 in the North Eastern Region. Presently, there are 16 operational airports in the North Eastern Region. Additionally, Advanced Landing Ground at Ziro has also been operationalized. Further, 13 major infrastructure works worth Rs.1543.70 crore are under implementation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Road connectivity

A total of 261 road projects under different Schemes of MoRTH with a total sanctioned cost of Rs.1,02,594 crore are under implementation through National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) and State Public Works Departments (PWDs) in the North Eastern States.

In addition, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, under the erstwhile North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) and the present North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) has sanctioned a total of 77 road projects amounting to Rs.3372.58 crore.

Moreover, under North Eastern Council (NEC) 51 projects worth Rs.4345.16 crore under Schemes of NEC has been sanctioned in connection with improving rail, air and road connectivity in the North Eastern Region.