Guwahati: The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has informed that all the under-construction national highway (NH) projects in the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura are scheduled to be completed by 2028.
The union minister was responding to a query by UPPL MP Joyanta Basumatary in Lok Sabha regarding the current status of the NH projects in the northeast.
As per the ministry data, revealed that there are 186 ongoing NH projects across the five NE states, spanning 3,582 km at a cost of Rs 77,362 crore.
Assam tops with 66 ongoing projects, sanctioned at Rs 39,239 crore, covering 1,139 km.
In 2024-25, 31 NH projects were completed in these states, spanning 389 km at Rs 4,352 crore.
The allocated funds for the development and maintenance of NHs in 2024-25 are: Assam (Rs 5,239 crore), Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 3,488 crore), Nagaland (Rs 1,227 crore), Manipur (Rs 1,508 crore), and Tripura (Rs 514 crore).
Despite challenges like land acquisition, environmental clearances, and utility relocation, the Ministry is committed to completing all ongoing National Highway projects in the five Northeast states by 2028.
To ensure timely completion, efforts are underway to streamline land acquisition and address other potential delays.
Approximately 1,700 km of roads under NH projects, sanctioned at a cost exceeding Rs 43,000 crore, await commencement in the five northeastern states.
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The government disclosed that precisely 58 NH projects in the five northeastern states are yet to begin despite approval.
Among these states, Arunachal Pradesh leads with 35 pending projects, encompassing a road length of 1,230 km at a cost of Rs 26,550 crore.
