Lok Sabha Question No. 1817 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Budget for Transport Connectivity to North-Eastern States
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Amar Singh

## Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1817

To be answered on Monday, July, 31, 2023 / 9 Sravana, 1945 (Saka)

## QUESTION Budget for Transport Connectivity to North-Eastern States

- 1817   DR. AMAR SINGH: Will the Minister of Development of North Eastern Region be pleased to state:
- (a) the number of projects the Government Plans to complete worth Rs.1,34,200 crores to create rail, air and road networks in the North-Eastern States;
- (b) the budgetary outlay and expenditure, project-wise; and
- (c) steps taken by Government to ensure the environmental sustainability of these projects?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As per the information furnished by respective nodal Ministries, Government plans  to  complete  the  following  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.
- (b) Department of Expenditure, Ministry Finance, under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for 2022-23 and 2023-24 has released funds to the North-Eastern States as detailed below:
- (c) The necessary Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is done before starting the new projects. The requisite Environment  & Forest  clearance is  also  obtained  by the concerned Agencies of Ministry/Departments/State Government, as per law.

| Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   | Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   | Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   | Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   | Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   | Releases to North-Eastern States under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment during 2022-23 and 2023-24   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.                                                                                                                                    | States                                                                                                                                 | BE                                                                                                                                     |                                                                                                                                        | 2023-24                                                                                                                                | 2023-24                                                                                                                                |
| No.                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                        | 2022-23                                                                                                                                | Allocation                                                                                                                             | Amount Approved                                                                                                                        | Amount released                                                                                                                        |
| 1                                                                                                                                      | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                      | 1564.10                                                                                                                                | 1757.00                                                                                                                                | 1254.86                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                        |
| 2                                                                                                                                      | Assam                                                                                                                                  | 4300.14                                                                                                                                | 3128.00                                                                                                                                | 3128.00                                                                                                                                | 1514.83                                                                                                                                |
| 3                                                                                                                                      | Manipur                                                                                                                                | 467.22                                                                                                                                 | 716.00                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                        |
| 4                                                                                                                                      | Meghalaya                                                                                                                              | 1049.02                                                                                                                                | 767.00                                                                                                                                 | 511.75                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                                                                      | Mizoram                                                                                                                                | 297.50                                                                                                                                 | 500.00                                                                                                                                 | 399.24                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                        |
| 6                                                                                                                                      | Nagaland                                                                                                                               | 504.16                                                                                                                                 | 569.00                                                                                                                                 | 569.00                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                        |
| 7                                                                                                                                      | Sikkim                                                                                                                                 | 551.36                                                                                                                                 | 388.00                                                                                                                                 | 387.62                                                                                                                                 | 258.43                                                                                                                                 |
| 8                                                                                                                                      | Tripura                                                                                                                                | 349.79                                                                                                                                 | 708.00                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                        |
| TOTAL:                                                                                                                                 | TOTAL:                                                                                                                                 | 9083.29                                                                                                                                | 8533.00                                                                                                                                | 6250.47                                                                                                                                | 1773.26                                                                                                                                |

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