New Delhi: The Central Government’s Ministries and Departments have undertaken several road and transport infrastructure development projects in the North Eastern Region (NER). These initiatives include:
Road Connectivity: The government has launched programs like SARDP-NE and Bharatmala-I to improve connectivity within the region and the East-West Corridor program to connect NER with the rest of India. From April 2024 to May 2024, 78 km of National Highway roads were constructed in the NE States. By June 2024, Rs 2,859.00 crore had been spent on National Highways in the NE States.
Air Connectivity: The number of airports in the NER increased from 9 in 2013 to 17 by 2023, with air traffic growing by 113% over the past decade. Under the UDAN scheme, 194 fixed-wing and helicopter routes have been awarded in the North Eastern States, enhancing tourism, investment, and ease of doing business.
Rail Connectivity: To improve rail connectivity within the NER and with the rest of India, 18 railway infrastructure projects (13 new lines, 5 doubling projects) covering 1,368 km and costing Rs 74,972 crore are in various stages of planning, approval, and construction. As of March 2024, 313 km of rail lines have been commissioned, with Rs 40,549 crore spent.
Waterway Connectivity: Under the Sagarmala program, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has initiated projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore for the development of waterways in the NER. The number of operational waterways has increased to 20, with 19 added in the last decade. The development of six ferry terminals in Assam, worth Rs 310 crore, will address current transportation bottlenecks.
Under the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade (PIWT&T), the number of waterway routes has increased from 8 to 10, with 11 ports of call and two extended ports of call declared in each country. Approximately 4.7 million tonnes of cargo moved on the IBP route in FY 2023-24.
Additional Initiatives: The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is implementing various schemes and packages, including the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme-Roads (NESIDS-Road), Special Packages of Assam (BTC, DHATC, and KAATC), and Schemes of the North Eastern Council (NEC). Since their inception, 1,980 projects worth Rs 23,240.78 crore, including connectivity projects, have been sanctioned under these developmental schemes and packages.
The Minister of State provided this information for the Development of the North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
