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The Northeast region has received an increase of more than 300 percent in the budget outlay since 2014, said Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, on Friday.
The Union Minister further stated that the budget outlay for the region has reached Rs 94,680 crore in FY2023-24, from Rs 36,108 crore in 2014. He stated that a remarkable rise of 28 percent in the expansion of National Highways has been registered. In addition, the region had 80 National Highways (NHs), which jumped to 103 NHs by 2023, from 2014, he stated. Sonowal said that a whopping 26 times increase in infra development scheme outlays from a meagre Rs 94 crores to Rs 2,491 crores. He added that the railways have also expanded within the region, improving communications with more than 193 km of rail lines being commissioned every year. The railway budget for the region has increased by 370 percent, and the region has also achieved 100 percent electrification of broad gauge in the region, he said. In less than a decade under PM Narendra Modi, the region now boasts 17 operational airports, and as a result, the people from the region have boosted the aviation sector with a 113 percent increase in flights per week, he added. Going further, he stated that the region has also witnessed a healthy growth of 39 percent increase in the number of universities. He added that more than 1.55 lakh hectares of land were utilised for organic farming to promote organic farming. More than 4,016 km of road projects are ongoing while 4G connectivity has reached almost all parts of the Northeast, he added. Highlighting the work done on the rejuvenation of the waterways, Sonowal, said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always given major importance to reviving the inland waterways of the country as a valuable alternative mode of transportation that is economical, ecologically better, and efficient. The Northeast, by virtue of its rich network of riverine systems, remains a major success story when it comes to inland waterways." (ANI)
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