Guwahati, Assam — Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation Rao Inderjit Singh on Tuesday chaired a high-level review of central sector infrastructure projects in the North Eastern Region (NER), underscoring the government’s push for timely delivery to strengthen connectivity and inclusive growth.
The meeting, organised with the Transformation & Development Department, Government of Assam, was attended by Dr. J.B. Ekka, Additional Chief Secretary, Assam, and Dilip Kumar Borah, Senior Most Secretary, along with more than 100 officials from 11 central ministries, their implementing agencies, and eight Northeastern states.
Officials said 221 central sector projects with an original cost of ₹2.33 lakh crore are currently under implementation across the region. Infrastructure, participants noted, is a core pillar of the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, aimed at building integrated, future-ready physical and digital networks.
Welcoming participants, Supreet Singh Gulati, Joint Secretary, MoSPI, outlined the review agenda. MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg highlighted data-driven monitoring through the ministry’s Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) and the PAIMANA portal, which tracks projects costing ₹150 crore and above, and urged states to leverage MoSPI’s capacity-building programmes in project planning and management.
Sector-wise reviews covered highways, railways, power, petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation, telecommunications, higher education, sports, coal, and labour and employment.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reviewed 177 projects spanning 3,634 km. The Railways assessed nine projects, with Northeast Frontier Railway citing terrain, monsoon, landslides and remoteness as challenges, while noting milestones including the Bhairabi–Sairang new line in Mizoram and 1,072 route km of electrification. State support was sought for land, encroachments, law and order, and forest clearances.
In the power sector, nine projects were reviewed, including PGCIL works in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and NEEPCO’s 186 MW Tato-I hydro project, where transmission and access constraints were flagged. The petroleum and natural gas review covered 21 projects, including the North East Gas Grid, with land and administrative clearances discussed. Officials also highlighted the Numaligarh 2G ethanol (bamboo-based) biorefinery, calling it a step toward energy self-reliance.
The civil aviation review covered three projects worth ₹2,534.26 crore, including Imphal airport redevelopment and Pakyong runway widening, while telecom officials stressed coordination between power distribution and last-mile connectivity. The higher education department reviewed seven projects worth ₹2,915.52 crore, reaffirming the goal of one NIT in each Northeastern state.
Concluding the meeting, Singh urged ministries and states to adopt a proactive, solution-oriented approach to clear bottlenecks and accelerate execution, expressing confidence that sustained collaboration will help realise a prosperous, connected and empowered Northeast, contributing to Viksit Bharat 2047.
