Parliament Question: Status of Projects and Schemes in Assam

Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *170 To be answered on Wednesday, February 11, 2026/Magha 22, 1947 (Saka) QUESTION Status of Projects and Schemes in Assam *170. Shri Pradyut Bordoloi:

Will the Minister of DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION be pleased to

state:

(a) the details of the number of projects in Assam funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) that have been delayed, scrapped and foreclosed along with the reasons for each such project;

(b) the details regarding the manner in which infrastructure gaps in flood-prone and hilly areas are being addressed to ensure better connectivity and livelihoods;

(c) the details of the amount of funds under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) and North Eastern Council (NEC) that remain unspent in Assam and the reasons for the same;

(d) the details of the reasons for which Assam is lagging behind the national average in basic connectivity and last-mile infrastructure; and

(e) the details of the concrete reforms introduced so that various DoNER schemes translate into visible jobs, livelihoods and timely infrastructure? ANSWER The Minister of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region [Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia]

(a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *170 FOR 11th FEBRUARY, 2026 REGARDING “STATUS OF PROJECTS AND SCHEMES IN ASSAM”

(a) The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) provides financial assistance to the North Eastern States to take up developmental projects under the five Central Sector Schemes of Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme- Other than Roads Infrastructure (NESIDS-OTRI), North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme- Roads (NESIDS-Roads), Schemes of North Eastern Council (SoNEC) and Special Development Packages. As on 31.01.2026, a total of 826 projects have been sanctioned for the State of Assam under the various schemes of MDoNER, since inception, of which 657 projects have since been completed. Out of the remaining 169 projects, the implementation of a total of 127 projects is delayed. The implementation period of the projects sanctioned under the schemes of MDoNER depends upon various factors such as the geographical location, terrain, availability of land, mandatory statutory clearances, removal of obstacles, financial closures etc.

(b) As conveyed by the State Government of Assam, infrastructure gaps in Assam's flood-prone and hilly areas are addressed through the construction and upgradation of all-weather roads and resilient bridges to ensure year-round connectivity. Additionally, the road levels are raised and improved drainage and cross-drainage structures are provided to reduce disruption due to floods and water logging. In hilly areas, slope stabilization, retaining structures and improved hill road engineering are adopted to prevent landslides and road closures. Further, the MDoNER while sanctioning the roads/bridges projects under its schemes ensures that the projects which are sanctioned conform to the latest specifications and other codal provisions.

(c) As on 04.02.2026, the details of the funds released for the State of Assam under various schemes of MDoNER and the unspent balance lying in the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) account are as under:

S. Scheme Funds Released Unspent Amount in CNA No. (Rs in Cr.) (Rs. in Cr.) 1 PM-DevINE 547.20 100.77 2 NESIDS - OTRI 4131.70 119.51 3 NESIDS - Roads 1068.70 46.37 4 Schemes of NEC 1565.70 34.72 The MDoNER follows up on a regular basis with the State Governments of NER, inter-alia, including Assam for expeditious utilization of funds released to them.(d) As per the Basic Road Statistics of India 2019-20 published by the MoRTH in 2025, Assam’s road network density per 1000 sq. km is 5741 km, which is well above the national average of 1661 km, indicating a relatively dense road network in the State compared to other States in the country.

(e) The MDoNER has introduced several reforms in the recent past to ensure timely implementation of the projects and to streamline the fund release mechanism

that are summarized below:

(i) Guidelines of Schemes of PM-DevINE, NESIDS (OTRI), NESIDS (Roads) have been simplified to jointly consider Concept Note and DPR of the project proposals in one go to reduce the lead time in conceptualization and sanction of projects.

(ii) Financial and sectoral demarcation among the schemes of MDoNER has been carried out to prevent duplication of sanction of projects across multiple schemes of MDoNER.

(iii) MDoNER has streamlined the mechanism for the release of funds to the NE States in four equal installments of 25% each.

(iv) The Poorvottar Vikas Setu portal of the Ministry of DoNER has been developed and rolled out in 2024. The portal has digitized the process for submission of Concept Notes and DPR to the MDoNER for expeditious processing and tracking of all proposals received from the State Governments.

The aforementioned reforms have enhanced the pace of sanction and execution of projects that has translated into tangible benefits such as increase in employment opportunities for the people of North Eastern Region, socio-economic development of the area, development of tourism industry and increase in industrial activities in the region and thereby boosting the overall economy of the North-Eastern States.

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