The Government has made significant progress in strengthening road, rail and digital connectivity across the North Eastern Region (NER), with large-scale projects at various stages of implementation, the Rajya Sabha was informed.

In a written reply, Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) Dr. Sukanta Majumdar said that the length of National Highways in the NER has increased substantially from 10,905 km in 2014 to 16,207 km as on April 1, 2025. At present, 177 National Highway projects covering 3,635 km, at an estimated cost of Rs 87,119 crore, are under different stages of execution in the region.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned 17,666 road projects spanning 89,503 km and 2,396 bridges in the North Eastern States since the scheme’s inception. Of these, 16,547 road works covering 81,448 km and 2,126 bridges have already been completed, involving an expenditure of Rs 53,353.49 crore, including the State share.

The Minister further informed that MDoNER has sanctioned 647 road and bridge projects worth Rs 8,260.88 crore under its various schemes. Out of these, 500 projects costing Rs 4,915 crore have been completed so far.

On railway connectivity, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned 12 railway projects—comprising eight new lines and four doubling projects—covering a total length of 777 km and costing ₹69,342 crore, falling partly or fully in the NER. As on April 1, 2025, 278 km of these projects have been commissioned. The Railways clarified that such projects are planned and executed zone-wise, as they often span multiple States and districts.

In the digital sector, the Department of Telecommunications reported that as on December 2025, 6,355 Gram Panchayats in the NER have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project to provide high-bandwidth internet connectivity. Additionally, under the Government-funded 4G Saturation Project and other mobile initiatives, 3,718 mobile towers have been commissioned, covering 5,366 villages and locations across the region.

Dr. Majumdar noted that project timelines depend on factors such as difficult terrain, land acquisition, statutory clearances, removal of obstacles and financial closures. He added that these infrastructure initiatives are expected to enhance integration of the North-East with the rest of the country, improve movement of essential goods and agricultural produce, generate employment, promote tourism and industrial activity, and drive overall socio-economic development in the North Eastern States.