New Delhi, July 31 (NationPress) The Central Government has successfully constructed 16,207 km of National Highways and has approved an investment of Rs. 69,342 crore for railway projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure and economic growth in the northeastern states, as reported to the Parliament on Thursday.

As part of this initiative, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned 12 railway projects, which include 8 new lines and 4 doubling projects, covering a total length of 777 km that falls either partially or fully within the North East Region (NER). Of this, 278 km has been commissioned, with an expenditure of Rs. 41,676 crore incurred up until March 2025, as stated by the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, Sukanta Majumdar, in the Rajya Sabha.

Moreover, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a total of 17,637 road projects spanning 89,436 km and 2,398 bridges have been sanctioned in the NER. Out of these, 16,469 road projects covering 80,933 km and 2,108 bridges have been completed, he added.

The minister highlighted that to ensure high-bandwidth internet and mobile connectivity for remote and rural villages in the NER, various steps and projects have been undertaken, funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi. A total of 6,355 Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project, alongside the commissioning of 3,297 mobile towers in the NER through various government-funded initiatives.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) to improve regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports and make travel more affordable. Currently, 90 routes have been operationalized under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), connecting 12 airports and heliports across the northeastern states, the minister remarked.

Additionally, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) provides financial support to the eight northeastern states for various developmental projects related to infrastructure, connectivity, and communication, through five Central Sector Schemes.

The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) was introduced as a new Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Centre, with a total outlay of Rs 6,600 crore extending over four years from 2022-23 to 2025-26. The objectives of the PM-DevINE Scheme are to fund infrastructure projects collaboratively, embodying the spirit of PM GatiShakti, support social development initiatives based on the needs of the NER, facilitate livelihood opportunities for youth and women, and address developmental gaps across various sectors.

Furthermore, the DoNER Ministry also allocates funds to the eight northeastern states for the development of the tourism sector in the NER through its Central Sector Schemes, as the minister concluded.