Scindia, NE Leaders Push Major Connectivity Overhaul at High-Level Task Force Meet

Chief Minister Saha presented a detailed update on the five-point agenda and three State-led initiatives identified in the first HLTF meeting held on 6 August 2025.

Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, participated in the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) Meeting on Logistics, Infrastructure and Connectivity convened by the Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr. Manik Saha, in New Delhi. The meeting brought together key leadership from the North Eastern States, including Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, the Secretary of the Ministry of DoNER, the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh, and other senior officials from the Centre and the North Eastern Region (NER).

The discussions emphasised a unified strategy to accelerate multimodal connectivity across the region—an area that remains critical to unlocking the Northeast’s economic, logistical and geopolitical potential. The Task Force examined the current gaps and opportunities in road networks, railway expansion, inland waterways, air connectivity, power transmission corridors, and digital infrastructure. Leaders stressed developing robust trade corridors, enhancing border infrastructure with Bangladesh and Myanmar, deepening last-mile connectivity, and creating an integrated macro-grid to support future growth.

Chief Minister Saha presented a detailed update on the five-point agenda and three State-led initiatives identified in the first HLTF meeting held on 6 August 2025. He highlighted persistent issues faced by North Eastern States, including inadequate road and air links, constraints in waterways development, gaps in border trade facilities, weaknesses in digital connectivity, and the topographical challenges of the region. He noted that coordinated action across states and central agencies is essential for translating plans into ground-level transformation.

Mizoram Chief Minister Shri Lalduhoma proposed a four-point agenda aimed at creating a long-term structural foundation for the NER:

• A comprehensive Master Plan for an integrated NER Infrastructure Grid combining transport, digital and power corridors.

• A regionwide roadmap for Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) at strategically identified nodes, improving multimodal efficiency and reducing logistics costs.

• Strengthening all transport modes—road, rail, air and waterways—along with digital and power infrastructure to ensure seamless last-mile connectivity across borders and remote regions.

• Lowering logistics costs by optimising MMLPs, cold-chain networks, and all-weather road infrastructure.

Union Minister Scindia outlined three major national-level initiatives that the HLTF must prioritise. First, developing a unified regional master plan to act as the Northeast’s macro-grid for connectivity, supported by coordination with central ministries to eliminate bottlenecks. Second, creating a state-wise matrix of infrastructure projects, with each state identifying two priority projects per sector such as roads, railways, airways, power and inland waterways for central funding. Third, formulating a state-wise matrix of PPP-ready projects, identifying one flagship project per sector—such as warehousing, cold-chain, logistics hubs—for investment mobilisation.

This year, the Central Government established eight High-Level Task Forces, each chaired by one of the Chief Ministers of the Northeast and supported by the Union Minister for DoNER and other state leaders. The initiative stemmed from the consensus achieved at the 72nd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held in December 2024 in Agartala. Both Centre and State authorities reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating connectivity-led development, improving regional integration, attracting investment, generating employment opportunities and building a future-ready logistics ecosystem for the Northeast.

The meeting reinforced the shared resolve to ensure that policy, planning and execution move in synchronisation, enabling the North Eastern Region to fully leverage its strategic location as India’s gateway to South East Asia and a hub for cross-border trade and regional prosperity.