Lok Sabha Question No. 4146 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: Development of North-Eastern States
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh, Sudarshan Bhagat

## Government of India

## Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. † 4146

To be answered on

Monday, March 27, 2023/Chaitra 6, 1945 (Saka)

## QUESTION Development of North-Eastern States

## †4146  SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT:

Will the Minister of DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION be pleased to state:

- (a) the  various  efforts  made  by  the  Government  for  the  development  of  NorthEastern States during the last five years;
- (b) whether the Government has been successful in connecting the people of NorthEastern States to the mainstream by the said efforts, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether a rapid development is taking place across all the North-Eastern States of country during the above-said period, if so, the details thereof  and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## The Minister  of the Ministry of  Development of North Eastern Region [Shri G. Kishan Reddy]

(a)  to  (c)Government of India is implementing various flagship and other schemes for the  development  of  the  North  Eastern  Region  through  the  respective  administrative Ministries/Departments within the approved financial outlays as per scheme design. As per extant policy of the Government,  fifty-five non-exempted  Central  Ministries/ Departments are  mandated to  spend  at  least  10%  of  their  Gross  Budgetary  Support (GBS)  for  Central  Sector  and  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  in  the  North  Eastern Region  (NER)  for  the  overall development  of  the  region  including  infrastructure development.  Under  10%  GBS,  an  expenditure  of  Rs.3.01  lakh  crores  has  been incurred  by  these  Central  Ministries/  Departments  since  financial  year  2017-18.  The year-wise details of Budget Estimates, Revised Estimates and Actual Expenditure under 10% GBS since financial year 2017-18 is given below:

Year-wise details of Budget Estimates, Revised Estimates and Actual Expenditure under 10% GBS (Rs. in crore)

| Year    | Budget Estimate   | Revised Estimate   | Actual Expenditure   |
|---------|-------------------|--------------------|----------------------|
| 43,245  | 40,972            | 39,753             | 2017-18              |
| 47,995  | 47,088            | 46,055             | 2018-19              |
| 59,370  | 53,374            | 48,534             | 2019-20              |
| 60,112  | 51,271            | 48,564             | 2020-21              |
| 68,020  | 68,440            | 70,874             | 2021-22              |
| 76,040  | 72,540            | 47,785*            | 2022-23              |
| 354,782 | 333,685           | 301,565            | Total                |

Source:

Statement 11 of Union Budget of various years

Note: Actual  Expenditure  figures  are  provisional  and  subject  to  vetting  of  Ministry  of Finance.

* Total GBS expenditure of all 55 Ministries/Departments for the current year 2022-23 up to the end of Third Quarter i.e. 31.12.2022.

Several  infrastructure  development  projects  have  been  taken  up  by  the  concerned central Ministries and Departments in North Eastern Region (NER) for their development, which, inter-alia, include:

##  Road connectivity:

A  total  of  4686  km  of  National  Highways  have  been  sanctioned  by  Ministry  of  Road Transport  &  Highways  in  NER  in  the  last  03  years  amounting  to  Rs.  60,093  crores. Major ongoing Capital Road Connectivity projects in NER include 4 laning of DimapurKohima Road (77.87 km) in Nagaland; 4 laning of Nagaon bypass to Holongi (167 km) in  Arunachal  Pradesh;  Alternate  two-lane  Highway  from  Bagrakote  to  Pakyong  (NH717A) (152 km) in Sikkim; 2 laning of Aizawl-Tuipang NH-54 (351 km) in Mizoram; 4 laning of Imphal-Moreh section of NH-39 (20 km) and 2-laning of 75.4 km in Manipur. In  addition,  the  Ministry  of  Development  of  North  Eastern  Region  under  North  East Special  Infrastructure  Development  Scheme  (NESIDS)  and  North  East  Road  Sector Development  Scheme  (NERSDS)  has  sanctioned  77  road  projects  amounting  to Rs.3372.58 crore.

##  Rail connectivity:

19 railway infrastructure projects, falling fully/ partly in North Eastern States, covering total length of 1909 km at a cost of Rs. 77,930 crore have been undertaken during the last  three  years  and  are  at  different  stages  of  planning/  approval/  execution.  Out  of these, 409 km length has been commissioned and an expenditure of Rs. 30,312 crore has been incurred upto March 2022.

##  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  air connectivity across  the country from unserved  and  underserved  airports  in the country and making air travel affordable to the masses. Airports at Rupsi, Tezu, Tezpur, Pasighat, Jorhat, Lilabari, Shillong, Pakyong, Itanagar & Dimapur involving 64 routes have been operationalized under UDAN in the North  Eastern  Region.  There  were  9  operational  airports  in  2014  in  the  North  East Region.  Presently,  there  are 16  operational airports in  the  North  East  Region. Additionally, Advanced landing Ground at Ziro has also been operationalized.

##  Waterway connectivity:

During the last three years, 4 Waterway projects/works costing Rs.1040.71 crore have been sanctioned in North Eastern Region, details of which are as under:

| Sl. No.   | Project /Work                                                                                                                             |   Cost (Rs.in cr.) |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|
| 1         | Comprehensive Development of NW-2 (River Brahamputra)                                                                                     |             474    |
| 2         | Comprehensive Development of NW-16 (River Barak)                                                                                          |             148    |
| 3         | Construction of Ship Repair Facility at Pandu (Guwahati) and development of Alternate Road Connectivity to Pandu Port (River Brahmaputra) |             388    |
| 4         | Development of IWT on river Khawthlangtuipui- Tuichawng in Lunglei District, Mizoram                                                      |               6.18 |
| 5         | Development of Inland Water Transport on Gumti River in Tripura                                                                           |              24.53 |
|           | Total                                                                                                                                     |            1040.71 |

##  Telecom connectivity:

Department  of  Telecommunications  has  undertaken  several  projects  in  the  North Eastern States for strengthening telecom connectivity in the region, the Projects are as follows:  (i) Arunachal Pradesh and 2 Districts of Assam Project: The project cost is Rs 1255.59  crore,  (ii)  Meghalaya  Project:    (iii)  A  total  of  1358  towers  have  been commissioned,  (iv)  BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to provide  broadband  connectivity  to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (approx.  2.6  lakh)  in  the country: (v) A pilot project for rolling out of 5 Lakh FTTH connections in GPs /villages across the country (including NER) using BhartNet through BharatNetUdyamies (BNUs) with  financial  support  from  USOF  is  being implemented  by  BSNL. As on 14-03-2023, total  2,04,170  FTTH  connections  have  been  provided  under  the  pilot  project  across country  &  (vi  )  4G  saturation  Project:  Under  this  project  24680  uncovered  villages across  the  country  are  proposed  to  be  covered  with  4G  services.  It  also  includes upgradation to 4G service of existing 2G/3G sites at 6279 villages. These include 5665 villages of North East Region.

## Power Sector

Ministry  of  Power  has  also  undertaken  power  generation  (hydro/  thermal) projects  since  2014  in  the  North  Eastern  States.  Further,  the  transmission  and distribution network has also been strengthened. 03 Hydro Electric Projects (above 25 MW) 740 MW have been undertaken in the North Eastern States. A Gas based Power Project in the State of Assam viz. Lakhwa Replacement Power Project of 69.755 MW capacity  (7  x  9.965  MW)  by  M/s  Assam  Power  Generation  Corporation  Ltd.  was commissioned on 14.02.2018.  Further, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) is executing  two  major  Intra  State  power  transmission  and  distribution  schemes  viz.  (i) North  Eastern  Region  Power  System  Improvement  Project  (NERPSIP)  for  Six  States (Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland) for strengthening of the Intra-State Transmission and Distribution Systems (33 kV and above) at an estimated cost of Rs.6,700 crore; and (ii) Comprehensive Scheme  for Strengthening of Transmission and Distribution System in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs.9,129.32 crores.

In  addition,  the  Ministry  of  Development  of  North  Eastern  Region  under  North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) have sanctioned 06 power projects amounting to Rs. 273.01 crore.

In  the  renewable  power  sector,  a  total  generation  capacity  of  578.54  MW  has been installed in the North Eastern Region and Sikkim.

In addition to above, Govt. of India has undertaken 'Yuva Sangam' initiative to strengthen  people-to-people  connect  specially  between  youth  belonging  to  NER  and other States and Parampara (Tradition), Pragati (Development), Prodyogiki (Technology) and Paraspar Sampark (People-to-People connect).

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