Cabinet Approves Rs 25,000 Crore Shillong-Silchar Corridor

31 Jan 2025 CW Team

The Union Cabinet is expected to approve a landmark Rs 250 billion (approximately USD 3 billion) high-speed corridor connecting Shillong with Silchar, one of the largest infrastructure projects for the Northeast. This new 160-km route, set to be constructed along a greenfield alignment, aims to significantly reduce travel time between the two towns to just four hours.

Part of the central government’s Bharatmala programme, the project will enhance connectivity between Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura. Once completed, the corridor is expected to ease long-standing travel challenges caused by poor road conditions and frequent landslides, particularly on the Sonapur-Ratacherra stretch.

Conceived in 2017, the corridor will not only improve road infrastructure but also accelerate economic growth in the region. Despite technical difficulties preventing the expansion of the existing highway, experts argue that a new alignment is the most effective solution to improve connectivity.

However, the project faces opposition, with at least four villages in Meghalaya refusing to provide land for construction. Residents from Diengpasoh in East Khasi Hills, along with villages in West Jaintia Hills, have raised concerns, advocating for an upgrade to existing roads instead. Despite the resistance, the government insists that altering the route is not feasible due to the precise planning of the greenfield alignment.

Once the Union Cabinet formally approves the project, it is expected to provide a major boost to the region's infrastructure, improving not only local travel but also trade and commerce across the Northeast.

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