Centre allocates Rs 85 bn to improve infra in NE

The central government has allocated funds worth Rs 8533 crore to complete rail, air and road projects in the North Eastern states to strengthen the connectivity in the region.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 up to March 2023.The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the regional connectivity scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on October 21, 2016, to enhance regional connectivity across the country from unserved and under-served regions in the country and make air travel affordable to the 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 operationalised. Further, 13 major infrastructure works worth Rs.1543.70 crore is under implementation in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura.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.