Northeast joins mainstream in India's development map: Report

New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) From long being in the distant periphery, the Northeast region in India has now entered the mainstream with the government’s Act East policy, according to a report on Thursday.

While rich in culture, the Northeast lagged in infrastructure and economic opportunity. But, with the new policy, it has seen significant investments across rail, road, air, and digital connectivity, India Narrative reported.

The region is “being recast as a strategic hub, bridging India with Southeast Asia and serving as a front-runner of growth”, the report said.

The report noted that in the last 11 years, railway budget allocation to the Northeast has risen fivefold -- totalling Rs 62,477 crore, with Rs 10,440 crore earmarked this year alone.

This will deepen both inter-state and strategic connectivity. It will also provide convenience for passengers and transform local economies with a surge in growth of sectors such as bamboo, horticultural produce, handicrafts, and tourism.

Most notable is the rail infrastructure: the Bairabi-Sairang railway line in Mizoram, which was inaugurated at a cost of over Rs 8,000 crore. The railway line stretching just 51 kilometres, and including 143 bridges and 45 tunnels, has connected Aizawl to the national railway grid for the first time since independence.

Further, the 80,933 km of rural roads and 2,108 bridges built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) have connected villages in the region to cities, increasing access to hospitals, schools, and markets.

Beyond roads and rails, the government has also strengthened the regions' air connectivity with the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme. And with projects such as BharatNet and Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Gram Panchayats have been made ready for digital connectivity.

With the recent Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 attracting Rs 4.48 lakh crore in investment interest, the region is also being developed as a new investment destination.

While the achievements are remarkable, the transformation poses risks such as ecological fragility, social sensitivities, execution gap, and strategic balance, said the report.

--IANS

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