Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, December 03, 2021 : The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had allocated an amount of Rs 13,710.29 crore for construction of roads and railways along eight states of the NE region during last five financial years from 2016-17 to 2020-21 and the same has been spent in respective states accordingly.

Union minister for Development of North East Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy on Thursday in a written reply at the Rajya Sabha informed the same.

In a press communique issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday, Reddy said “In five financial years, a total of Rs 3676.82 crore had been allocated and spent for Arunachal Pradesh in five financial years; Rs 3903.37 crore had been allocated and spent for Assam; Rs 946.90 crore allocated and spent for Manipur, Rs 842.13 crore for Meghalaya, Rs 1697.22 crore for Mizoram; Rs 1360.41 crore allocated and spent for Nagaland; Rs 926.39 crore for Sikkim; and Rs 299.05 crore for Tripura”.

For allocation and expenditure on the construction of railway projects of new lines and doubling in the northeastern states during the last five years, union DoNER minister said “Rs 6007 crore was budget grant and Rs 5990 crore was spent in 2016-17 FY, Rs 4007 crore was budget grant and Rs 4361 crore was spent in 2017-18 FY, Rs 4971 crore was budget grant and Rs 5013 crore was spent in 2018-19 FY, Rs 5743 crore was budget grant and same amount was spent in 2019-20, and Rs 3920 crore was budget grant and Rs 4325 crore was spent in 2020-21 FY”.

It is also informed that “As on 01.04.2020, against a national average of 21 km/1000 sq. km.railway network density, North Eastern States have an average railway network density of 10.79 km/1000 sq. km. To bridge this gap, 14 new line projects have been taken up in the North Eastern Region having a total length of 1,181 km at a total cost of Rs. 56,553crore.  An outlay of Rs. 4,300 crore has been provided in 2021-22 for these projects.”

The projects sanctioned in railways in the NE region states during the last five years, union minister said “A doubling project of 176 KMs length from New Bongaigaon to Kamakhya via Goalpara sanctioned worth Rs 2590 crore started in 2016-17 FY. At present, New Bongaigaon-Abhyapuri (18 KMs) section completed and work has been taken up in remaining portion except 5 KM length between Azara Kamakhya section which is held up on account of National Green Tribunal (NGT) issue.”

“Another doubling railway project is New Bongaigaon-Agthori via Rangiya of 143 KMs length worth Rs 2047 crore in 2019-20 FY. Currently, earthwork and works of major and minor bridges have been taken up. Third project is of new line of 3 KMs from Mahissan (Assam) to Zero Point (Bangladesh) in 2020-21 FY worth Rs 39 crore and project is at initial stage”, he added.

Citing the figures of the ongoing road works in 8 states of NE region, Reddy said “47 projects for 1284.85 KMs length with cost of Rs 1594.88 crore in Arunachal Pradesh, 46 projects for 852.52 KMs length with cost of Rs 19221.44 crore in Assam, 36 projects for 630.20 KMs length worth Rs 7974.59 crore in Manipur, 18 projects for 237.46 KMs length worth Rs 3193.41 crore in Meghalaya, Rs 12637.20 crore to be spent for 27 projects of 785.38 KMs length in Mizoram, 45 projects for 899.50 KMs length with cost of Rs 11762.94 crore in Nagaland, 20 projects worth Rs 4834.83 crore for 242.44 KM length in Sikkim and Rs 4534.10 crore to be spent for 21 projects of 430.22 KMs length in Tripura”.

The press communiqué further added “In addition, roads are also constructed in the NER under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). A total of Rs. 19,537.83 crore was spent in NER in the period 2016-17 to 2020-21 under PMGSY. The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, through its schemes, has sanctioned 68 road and bridges projects in NER worth Rs. 2,647.68 crore in the period 2018-19 to 2020-21”.