New Delhi: The Centre has constructed 16,207 kilometres of National Highways in the northeastern states, reinforcing its commitment to enhancing road connectivity in the region. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H), which oversees the development of National Highways, reported the milestone achievement as of April 1, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned 12 major railway projects—including eight new lines and four doubling projects—with a total length of 777 km.
The projects, partly or fully covering the NER, come with a total financial outlay of Rs. 69,342 crore, of which Rs. 41,676 crore has already been spent and 278 km of railway lines have been commissioned.
In the rural connectivity sector, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has sanctioned 17,637 road projects covering 89,436 km and 2,398 bridges in the region.
So far, 16,469 roads (80,933 km) and 2,108 bridges have been completed.
To bridge the digital divide, the government has taken up several connectivity projects under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).
Under the BharatNet project, 6,355 Gram Panchayats in the Northeast have been made service-ready, while 3,297 mobile towers have been installed to improve broadband and mobile connectivity in remote areas.
In the aviation sector, the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme has significantly enhanced regional air access.
As many as 90 air routes have been operationalised, connecting 12 airports and heliports across the Northeastern states.
Further, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is financing key development initiatives through five Central Sector Schemes—NESIDS (Roads), NESIDS (OTRI), PM-DevINE, NEC schemes, and Special Development Packages—to support projects in connectivity, communication, and infrastructure.
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Among them, the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)—a 100% centrally funded scheme—was launched in the Union Budget 2022-23 with a total outlay of Rs. 6,600 crore over four years.
The scheme is aimed at funding infrastructure and social development projects, supporting livelihoods for women and youth, and addressing critical development gaps, in line with the vision of PM GatiShakti.
Officials say the coordinated push across key sectors signals a long-term commitment to transform the Northeast into a vibrant hub of connectivity, commerce, and social development.
