Per capita power consumption in the North-East is one of the lowest in the country. The region has 36 per cent of the country's total hydel potential of which less than 5 per cent is being utilized at present. Grossly inadequate transport and communication network create the biggest bottleneck. It also enhances the feeling of isolation among the people. Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya are still out of the railway network which has negligible coverage in Nagaland, Arunachal and Tripura as well as insufficient coverage in Assam.
Tea is the major plantation crop.
There are 769 tea gardens in Assam which account for more than 50 per cent of the country's tea production. But, deliberate government policies has denied Assam its rightful share of benefits accruing from the tea industry. There are also good prospects for rubber and coffee in Assam and Tripura. Full potential in the allied sectors like horticulture is yet to be realized. North-East region is one of the three major centres of diversity for citrus in the country with 17 species and 52 varieties.