Lok Sabha Question No. 6172 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Connectivity and Development in the North East Region
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Smt. Pratima Mondal

## Government of India

## Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOK SABHA Unstarred Question No. 6172

To be answered on

Wednesday, April 1, 2026/Chaitra 11, 1948 (Saka)

## QUESTION

## Connectivity and Development in the North East Region

## 6172.   Smt. Pratima Mondal:

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

- (a) the details of the strategy exists to integrate connectivity projects with local industrial clusters, agriculture value chains and youth employment beyond announcing highways and rail links;
- (b) the tangible  economic gains in terms of trade volumes, border infrastructure, export growth have accrued to the North East Region under the Act East Policy; and
- (c) the manner in which the Government ensure that border infrastructure development strengthens local communities rather than exacerbating displacement or ecological stress?

## ANSWER

## The Minister of State of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region [Dr. Sukanta Majumdar]

(a) to (c):   With the objective to further strengthen ties with countries of the Southeast Asian region,  India's  Act  East  Policy  seeks  to  promote  economic  cooperation,  cultural  ties  and developing  strategic  relationships  with  countries  in  the  Indo-Pacific  region.  The  'Act  East Policy' recognizes connectivity, in its broadest sense, as the key for growth and prosperity of the region that includes physical, digital, economic, and people-to-people movement. Further as a Whole of Government approach under the 10% Gross Budgetary Support Mechanism since 2014-15 to 2024-25, a cumulative expenditure of Rs. 6.11 lakh crore has been made against the cumulative allocation of Rs. 6.02 lakh crore (RE) for development in the NER. Further, under the various schemes of the Union several infrastructure projects have been completed under the following sectors:

- (i) Road Connectivity:

The length of National Highways (NH) in NER has increased from 10,905 km in 2014 to  16,207  km  as  on  31.03.2025.  Also  in  the  last  10  years,  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram Sadak Yojana  (PMGSY), 46,296 Km Rural Roads has been  constructed in NER with  an expenditure of ₹47,279 crore.

## (ii) Railway Connectivity:

The  budget  allocation  for  railway  sector  during  the  last  five  years  has  increased significantly  in  the  North  Eastern  Region,  from  Rs.  2122  crore/year  (2009-14)  period  to currently  Rs.  10,440  crore  in  FY  2025-26.The  following  ongoing  Railway  Projects  directly augment India's growing infrastructure connectivity under Act East Policy:- Bhairabi-Sairang New Line (51 Km), Agartala-Sabroom New Line (112 Km), Agartala-Akhaura New Line (5 Km), Jiribam-Imphal New Line (111 Km), Murkongselek-Pasighat New Line (27 Km).

## (iii) Telecom Connectivity:

As of December, 2025, 6355 Gram Panchayats have been made service ready for  providing  high  speed internet  services in North Eastern Region. Till Dec-2025, 3718 mobile  towers  have  been  commissioned  in  NER  covering  5366  villages/locations  under various Government funded mobile projects.

## (iv) Air Connectivity:

The  Ministry  of  Civil  Aviation  (MoCA)  launched  the  Regional  Connectivity  Scheme (UDAN) on 21 st October, 2016. UDAN is a market-driven initiative where the development of regional air connectivity routes is determined by market forces. Airlines assess the demand and supply needs for specific routes and lead the process under the scheme. The following airports and heliports have been identified for development and operation of RCS flights in the  NE  states  under  the  UDAN  scheme:  Pasighat,  Tezu,  Hollongi,  Jorhat,  Lilabari,  Rupsi, Tezpur, Dimapur, Shillong and Pakyong. Under the aforesaid scheme 90 routes have been operationalized.

## (v) Power:

A number of Hydro Electric Projects with a total installed capacity of 5796 MW have been taken up in NER. The major projects include Subansiri Lower (2000MW), Dibang MultiPurpose project (2880 MW), Teesta Stage VI (500 MW) etc. Under the NER Power System Improvement  Project  for  six  States  (Assam,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Tripura  and Nagaland) for strengthening of the Intra-State Transmission and Distribution Systems (33kV

and  above)  at an estimated cost  of  ₹6700  crore.  The  comprehensive  scheme  for Strengthening of Transmissionand Distribution System in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim at an estimated cost of ₹9129.32 crore has been sanctioned.

## (vi) Inland Waterways:

The number of National Waterways in the NER has increased from 1 to 20 and ₹1,040 cr have been spent on various Waterways Projects in NER. This ensures better connectivity leads to more jobs, business growth, and long-term development of the region.

The  evaluation  report  of  various  schemes  of  MDoNER  mentions  about  the  tangible economic gains in terms of trade volumes, border infrastructure, and export growth under the Act East Policy, includes developing border trade points and logistics hubs to enhance the region's integration with national and international markets, which directly supports the Act East Policy's objectives. Furthermore, investments in road connectivity, power transmission, and  digital  infrastructure  under  the  schemes  of  MDoNER  are  crucial  for  catalyzing  the economic  integration  of  remote  regions  into  national  and  regional  value  chains.  These infrastructural  and  institutional  developments  are  creating  the  necessary  conditions  for economic gains to materialize.

The ecological sensitivity and sustainability concerns are considered while sanctioning projects in the hilly challenging terrain of North East Region. The government ensures that border  infrastructure  development  strengthens  local  communities  rather  than  exacerbating displacement  or  ecological  stress,  through  a  Sustainability  Lens,  ensuring  that  projects balance  economic  development  with  ecological  integrity.  This  is  evident  in  sectors  like Environment  &  Sustainability,  which  includes  renewable  energy,  watershed  management, and afforestation. The Focused Development Component (FDC) under the schemes of NEC specifically supports climate-resilient infrastructure and eco-restoration projects, indicating a priority on mitigating ecological stress. The overarching principles of participatory governance,  sustainability,  and  inclusive  growth  are  the  primary  means  to  ensure  that infrastructure  development  serves  to  empower  local  communities  and  protect  the  region's unique ecological and cultural heritage.

*****