Centre Reviews ₹2.33 Lakh Cr Infra Push in Northeast Using Data-Driven Monitoring

Addressing the meeting, the Minister reiterated that infrastructure is the backbone of a developed nation and central to the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The Government of India is accelerating the transformation of the North Eastern Region through a data-driven, technology-enabled infrastructure push, as Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, chaired a high-level review of 221 Central Sector infrastructure projects worth ₹2.33 lakh crore in Guwahati.

The review meeting, organised in collaboration with the Transformation & Development Department, Government of Assam, brought together 100+ senior officials from 11 Central Ministries, their implementing agencies, and 8 North Eastern State Governments, reflecting a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to infrastructure delivery.

Infrastructure as the Engine of Viksit Bharat @2047

Addressing the meeting, the Minister reiterated that infrastructure is the backbone of a developed nation and central to the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. He highlighted how integrated physical and digital infrastructure is improving connectivity, logistics efficiency, access to services and regional balance, unlocking the Northeast’s economic potential.

Setting the context, Joint Secretary, MoSPI, Shri Supreet Singh Gulati, noted that the projects under implementation span roads, railways, power, petroleum and gas, civil aviation, telecommunications, higher education, sports, coal and labour infrastructure, underscoring the region’s strategic importance.

PAIMANA and Analytics-Led Project Monitoring

Secretary, MoSPI, Dr Saurabh Garg, highlighted the growing role of technology and analytics in infrastructure governance, particularly through MoSPI’s Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) and the PAIMANA portal (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-Building).

PAIMANA enables real-time, data-driven monitoring of Central Sector projects costing ₹150 crore and above, helping identify delays, risks and inter-agency bottlenecks early. Dr Garg also encouraged States to participate in MoSPI’s capacity-building programmes on project planning and management, aimed at improving on-ground execution capability.

Sectoral Reviews: Progress and Bottlenecks

Key sectoral highlights included:

• Roads (MoRTH): Review of 177 projects covering 3,634 km, with emphasis on terrain and monsoon-related challenges

• Railways: Progress on connectivity despite difficult terrain; completion of 1,072 route km electrification and inauguration of the Bhairabi–Sairang line in Mizoram; States urged to support land acquisition and clearances

• Power: Review of transmission and hydropower projects, including Tato-I (186 MW), with focus on contractor availability and forest clearances

• Petroleum & Natural Gas: Review of 21 projects, including the North East Gas Grid and the Numaligarh 2G Ethanol Bio-Refinery, the world’s first bamboo-based 2G ethanol plant — a flagship of energy Atmanirbharta

• Civil Aviation: Airport redevelopment and runway expansion projects impacted by monsoons and access constraints

• Telecom: Emphasis on OPGW-based bandwidth and the need for coordinated last-mile digital infrastructure

• Higher Education: Progress on NITs in each State to act as regional innovation and skills hubs

Implementing agencies acknowledged strong support from State Governments while flagging issues related to land acquisition, forest clearances, local constraints and logistics.

Faster Execution Through Collaboration

Concluding the meeting, Rao Inderjit Singh stressed the urgency of timely project completion to strengthen connectivity, enable inclusive growth and improve quality of life in the Northeast. He urged all stakeholders to adopt solution-oriented, tech-enabled approaches to resolve bottlenecks and accelerate execution.

He expressed confidence that continuous monitoring, analytics-backed decision-making and Centre–State coordination will help realise the Prime Minister’s vision of a prosperous, connected and empowered North Eastern Region, contributing decisively to Viksit Bharat @2047.

Call to Action for Infra-Tech and GovTech Innovators

The scale and complexity of projects in the Northeast create opportunities for infra-tech startups, GIS and satellite analytics firms, AI-based project management platforms, digital twin developers, and logistics-tech providers to collaborate with governments on real-time monitoring, risk prediction and faster execution of large infrastructure programmes.