Assures to visit Nagaland within 15 days
SHILLONG, JUN 15 (PTI): Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday announced a slew of key road connectivity projects for the northeastern states and said infrastructure development in the region will serve as its “growth engine”.
In his address at the inaugural session of the ‘North East India Infrastructure Summit and Exhibition 2026’, being hosted on June 15-16 at the Lariti Performing Centre in Shillong, he also said that projects should be executed in a transparent, time-bound and result-oriented manner.
“Financial audit is very important, but performance audit is more important than the financial audit. There should be transparency and swiftness in execution,” the Union minister for road, transport and highways said.
He called for cultivating an administrative system that features transparency, time-bound, result-oriented work and corruption-free environment. Gadkari emphasised that the Centre is “fully committed” to the growth and development of the northeast. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, and several other dignitaries were also present on the dais.
The Union minister also announced a slew of road infrastructure projects for the northeast. “I want to make an important announcement for you. The Silchar-Shillong (project), a greenfield alignment of 165 km, will be worth Rs 23,000 crore. Then Shillong-Guwahati — this is also greenfield — 66 km line, worth Rs 8,500 crore. And Guwahati-Shillong — this is a brownfield and greenfield project — its DPR (is) being made, worth Rs 18,500 crore. So, I am announcing projects worth about Rs 50,000 crore,” he said.
Silchar-Shillong line has been approved by the Cabinet, and land acquisition is underway, Gadkari said and also announced a few projects for Meghalaya.
He further assured the Nagaland chief minister and his deputy that within 15 days, “I will visit Nagaland and announce a package and resolve all issues”.
In his address, Gadkari emphasised that new airports are coming up and road and rail infrastructure is being built in the NE region. The infrastructure being developed in various fields, “will in future work as a growth engine for the northeast”, he said. Gadkari also enumerated the various ongoing national highway-related infrastructure projects underway in various northeastern states, including in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.