Planned Development of North-Eastern Region

Fifty three (53) Ministries/Departments of Government of India earmark 10% of their Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for North Eastern Region (NER)that is spent as per their own development plans.  Details of the development plans as communicated by different line Ministries undertaking infrastructure development projects in NER are as follows:- I. Railways: Master Plan for development of railway infrastructure in the North-Eastern States includes:- i)              connectivity to all State capitals. ii)             unigauge broadgauge network in the region. iii)            augmentation of network capacity for handling growth of traffic in future iv)           expansion of network to unconnected areas of the region. v)            Strengthening international borders. vi)           Improving trade and connectivity with neighbouring countries. 20 major infrastructural projects for New Line, Doubling and Gauge Conversion are sanctioned and ongoing in North Eastern States.  These include 10 National Projects.  Together these major projects cover a length of 2919 km. at a cost of Rs.38310 crore. II.  Telecommunication: Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for North East Region (NER) includes:- (i)  Provision of 2G  mobile coverage in identified uncovered areas. (ii)           Provision of seamless 2G mobile coverage along the National Highways in NER. (iii)          Ensuring reliability of and redundancy in the transmission network at State capitals and district headquarters in NER. In its meeting held on 13.06.2014, the Telecom Commission approved the proposal to implement the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan at an estimated project cost of Rs.5336.18 crore.  III. Roads: Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North East (SARDP-NE) includesupgradation of 10141 km road stretches of National Highways and State Roads aims to upgrade National Highways connecting State Capitals to 4 lane or 2 lane  and to provide connectivity to all 88 District Headquarter towns of NER by at least 2-lane road. IV.  Power:                 Development of power sector inter-alia includes:- (i)                     Generation: A generation capacity addition programme of 5596 MW in the North Eastern Region; (ii)                   Transmission: (a)                   A comprehensive scheme for strengthening of transmission and distribution system in Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim at an estimated cost of Rs.4754.42 crore; (b)                  ‘NER Power System Improvement Project’ for strengthening of Transmission and Distribution system in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The estimated cost of the scheme is Rs.4923.32 crore. (c)                   Providing access to Electricity to rural households during XII Five Year Plan with the total project cost of Rs.2311.37 crore. V.  Inland Waterways: Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has a mandate to develop National Waterways including National Waterway-2 (River Brahmaputra) from Bangladesh Border (near Dhubri) to Sadiya for the purpose of inland water transport and Development of Barak River from Lakhipur to Bhanga (121 km) as                a National Waterway at an estimated cost of Rs.141 crore at 2014 price.