Budget of Northeast increased by 300 per cent in last one decade: Sarbananda Sonowal

New Delhi, Dec 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday asserted that the entire northeastern region has undergone a transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the budget of the northeast has increased by 300 per cent in the last one decade.

Highlighting some major developments in the region, Sarbananda Sonowal said: "The Northeast has remained a priority for the NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi. Since 2014, the region has received an increase of more than 300 per cent in the budget outlay. From Rs 36,108 crore in 2014, the budget outlay for the region has reached Rs 94,680 crore in FY 2023-24. In terms of infrastructure, a remarkable rise of 28 per cent in expansion of National Highways has been registered. Till 2014, the region had 80 National Highways (NHs) which jumped to 103 NHs by 2023. A whopping 26 times increase in infra development scheme outlays from a meager Rs 94 crore to Rs 2,491 crore."

"Railways also expanded within the region improving communications with more than 193 km of rail lines being commissioned every year. The railway budget for the region has increased by 370 per cent. We have also achieved 100 per cent electrification of broad gauge in the region," he added.

Targeting the Congress, Sarbananda Sonowal said that in 60 years of governance under the grand old party, the region had only 9 operational airports. In less than a decade under PM Narendra Modi, the region now boasts of 17 operational airports.

He said: "As a result, the people from the region have boosted the aviation sector with 113 per cent increase in flights per week. In terms of delivery of welfare schemes to the people from the remotest corners of the region, more than 7,000 villages have access to piped drinking water. In this decade, the region has also witnessed a 39 per cent increase in the number of universities."

The Union Minister said: "Our beautiful region of the Northeast has been blessed by Mother Nature but was ignored for far too long by the successive governments at the Centre, until the NDA came to power. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the region has undergone a major transformation in the last one decade, when compared to decades of inertia by governments stuck in inaction, corruption, and ignorance. This decade of transformation has sparked new energy in the Northeast.

"The genius strategy to rejuvenate the Northeast as the Growth Engine of India employed by PM Modi centres around good governance and developmental politics. These twin approaches with a penchant for success with clear intention and hard work have paid off as people, from the remotest corners of the region, enjoy the delivery of welfare services at their doorstep. This was unthinkable for most people of the Northeast before 2014."

With a view to promote organic farming, more than 1.55 lakh hectare land utilised for organic farming.

More than 4,016 km of road projects are ongoing while 4G connectivity has reached almost all parts of the Northeast.

Source: IANS