Northeast Development: PM Announces Rs 55,600 Cr Projects, Including Sela Tunnel.

Northeast Development

Under 100 Words: A Compact Summary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a comprehensive package of development projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in the Northeast. Key highlights include the Sela tunnel, housing distribution, hydropower initiatives, and industrial schemes across multiple states, promoting connectivity, infrastructure, and economic growth in the region (Northeast Development).

  • On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed projects totaling Rs 55,600 crore in the Northeast region. This includes the significant Sela tunnel, aiming to establish all-weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The unveiling of these projects, spanning across Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh, took place during a program in Itanagar (Northeast Development).
  • The Sela tunnel, built at an approximate cost of Rs 825 crore, stands as an engineering marvel. Situated on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh, it is designed to offer all-weather connectivity to Tawang via the Sela pass.
  • This project, for which Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone in February 2019, serves not only to enhance the speed and efficiency of transportation in the region but also holds strategic significance for the country due to its proximity to the frontier with China.
  • The Prime Minister marked the inauguration of the Sela tunnel by flagging off an Arunachal Pradesh State Transport bus that traversed through it (Northeast Development).
  • Overall, he revealed development projects exceeding Rs 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Additionally, he laid the foundation stone for the Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in the Lower Dibang Valley district, with an estimated cost of Rs 31,875 crore, making it the tallest dam structure in the country.
  • Furthermore, the Prime Minister initiated the foundation stones for various projects, including roads, environmental initiatives, tourism projects, and the upgrading of schools (Northeast Development).
  • He also inaugurated approximately 1,100 projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the state, along with 170 telecom towers funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), benefiting over 300 villages, among other initiatives.
  • The Prime Minister also distributed more than 35,000 houses, constructed for Rs 450 crores, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Northeast Development

  • In Manipur, Modi revealed projects exceeding Rs 3,400 crore. The projects, for which foundation stones were laid, encompass the Unity Mall at Nilakuthi, the processing zone of Manipur IT SEZ at Mantripukhri, a 60-bed hospital in Lampjhelpat dedicated to providing specialized psychiatric care, and the development of infrastructure for Manipur Technical University in Imphal West district (Northeast Development).
  • Additionally, the Prime Minister inaugurated various road projects and water supply schemes in Manipur, among other initiatives. In Nagaland, he unveiled development projects valued at more than Rs 1,700 crore.
  • Among the projects for which he laid the foundation stone are the Unity Mall in Chumoukedima district and the upgrading of the 132 kV sub-station at Nagarjan in Dimapur (Northeast Development).
  • The Prime Minister also inaugurated several road projects in the state, including the upgraded road from Chendang Saddle to Noklak and the Kohima-Jessami Road.
  • In Meghalaya, the Prime Minister unveiled projects exceeding Rs 290 crore (Northeast Development).
  • The projects for which foundation stones were laid include the IT Park at Tura, a new four-lane road, and the conversion of an existing two-lane road into a four-lane road at the New Shillong Township. He also inaugurated the Farmers Hostel-cum-Training Centre in Upper Shillong.
  • In Sikkim, Modi unveiled projects worth more than Rs 450 crore, laying the foundation stone for several road projects and inaugurating a new road connecting Tharpu and Daramdin (Northeast Development).
  • In Tripura, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects surpassing Rs 8,500 crore. This includes the foundation stone for various road projects, such as the Agartala Western Bypass, the Indian Oil Corp’s new depot at Sekerkote, and the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug-addicted persons.
  • The Prime Minister also inaugurated various roads in the state, along with a project to provide tap connections to 1.46 lakh households and the land port at Sabroom in South Tripura district.
  • Modi also launched a new industrial development scheme for the region named UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialisation).
  • This Rs 10,000 crore scheme, fully funded by the Centre, covers all eight Northeastern states and aims to strengthen the industrial ecosystem, attract new investments, establish new manufacturing and services units, and boost employment through incentives for capital investment, interest subvention, and manufacturing and services linked incentives for approved units.

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