The Central Government has constructed 16,207 km of National Highways and sanctioned Rs 690 billion for railway projects to enhance infrastructure and spur economic development in the Northeastern Region (NER), Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Sukanta Majumdar, told the Rajya Sabha that 12 railway projects—comprising eight new lines and four doubling projects—have been approved by the Ministry of Railways, covering 777 km either partially or fully within the region. Of this, 278 km has been commissioned, with Rs 417 billion already spent by March 2025.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 17,637 road projects covering 89,436 km and 2,398 bridges were sanctioned. So far, 16,469 roads totalling 80,933 km and 2,108 bridges have been completed.

Efforts to improve digital connectivity in rural and remote areas are ongoing, supported by the Digital Bharat Nidhi. Under the BharatNet project, 6,355 Gram Panchayats in the region are service-ready. Additionally, 3,297 mobile towers have been commissioned under various connectivity schemes.

Air connectivity has also seen major improvements under the UDAN scheme, which has operationalised 90 routes across the Northeast, linking 12 airports and heliports to make regional air travel more affordable and accessible.

DoNER is also providing financial support to all eight Northeastern states under five Central Sector Schemes for development projects related to infrastructure, communication, and connectivity.

A key initiative is the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), a 100 per cent centrally funded scheme with a total outlay of Rs 66 billion, running from 2022–23 to 2025–26. It focuses on infrastructure projects aligned with PM GatiShakti, supports social development, and aims to create livelihood opportunities for youth and women while addressing regional development gaps.