Correspondent
SHILLONG, JUN 15: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday announced National Highway projects worth nearly 40,000 crore covering around 450 km in Meghalaya, aimed at transforming connectivity and boosting economic growth in the State. Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026 here, Gadkari emphasised that high-quality infrastructure must directly uplift the population. Declaring the central government’s commitment, Gadkari asserted, “We will bring the road infrastructure of the Northeast equivalent to the progressive, prosperous, and developed states of India; this is our resolve and we will fulfil it.” Among the major projects announced is the23,000-crore four-lane Greenfield Shillong–Silchar Corridor spanning 165 km, which is expected to cut travel time between Shillong and Silchar by nearly 50 per cent while improving connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. Another key project is the proposed `8,500-crore Jorabat–Barapani Greenfield Corridor, which will reduce travel time between Guwahati and Shillong from about 2.5 hours to nearly one hour.
“By linking key economic centres, tourism destinations and logistics hubs, the project is expected to catalyse industrial development, trade, tourism and investment across the region,” the Union Minister informed. Out of the package, Gadakark said the proposed four-Lane Greenfield Jorabat–Barapani Corridor, estimated at Rs. 8,500 crore and spanning approximately 66 kilometres, will provide high-speed connectivity between Guwahati and Shillong.
He said the project is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from about 2.5 hours to nearly one hour and will form part of a future high-speed Siliguri–Guwahati–Shillong–Silchar Economic corridor.
Gadkari also highlighted the strategic importance of the proposed Darugiri–Baghmara–Dalu Section of NH-217, estimated at Rs. 4,000 crore over approximately 136 kilometres.
The project will significantly improve connectivity in the Garo Hills region and border areas adjoining Bangladesh, providing better access to markets, healthcare, education and economic opportunities for local communities.
He further noted that projects such as the Pomlum–Umtyngar Section of the Shillong–Dawki Corridor, improvement of the Tura–Dalu Route, the Tura Bypass Project, the Pynursla Bypass Project and NH-127B connectivity projects linked to the Dhubri–Phulbari Bridge will further strengthen Meghalaya’s transport infrastructure and improve last-mile connectivity.
Gadkari said that some of these projects have already received cabinet approval and now the state government must acquire the land for these projects.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, said that the region has moved past decades of instability into an era of widespread peace and political stability, echoing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that this is the right time for the Northeast.
Highlighting Meghalaya’s rapid economic transformation, Sangma noted that the State now ranks third nationwide in GDP growth over the last five years, driven by a doubled state budget, a six-fold increase in capital expenditure, and a historic Rs. 50,000 crore investment in road infrastructure.
Outlining the vision of the summit, the Chief Minister explained that it aims to unite all stakeholders to collectively identify and transform challenges into dynamic opportunities.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio highlighted that the Northeast is entering a dynamic phase of transformation driven by the Act East Policy.
Expressing his gratitude to Meghalaya for hosting the crucial infrastructure summit, he noted that such collaborative platforms are essential for bringing together the government, investors, and stakeholders to translate shared developmental visions into reality.