Northeast emerging as growth engine, centre’s allocation increased four times: Scindia in Tripura

Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday stated that the Central Government's fund allocation for the North Eastern states has increased fourfold in the last ten years compared to the UPA-led Congress regime.  

Addressing a press conference at Agartala on Friday, Minister Scindia said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisions the Northeast as a growth engine.  

“Northeastern states have witnessed massive changes in the last 10 years due to efforts by the Central and State governments. There was a time when the budget for the Northeast was Rs 24,000 crore, but after 2014, it is approximately Rs 1,03,000 crore, which is four times higher. In the last 65 years, around 10,000 km of National Highways were constructed, whereas after 2014, more than 5,000 km of National Highways have been built by the PM Modi government. Currently, three states in the Northeast are connected by railways, and in the coming 2-3 years, the goal is to connect all Northeastern states with railway connectivity.  

In the civil aviation sector, there were only nine airports in the region, with two states lacking airports altogether in the last 65 years. Today, the Northeast has 17 airports. Such rapid development has occurred across every sector in the Northeast,” he said.  

The minister highlighted that Tripura has experienced significant progress under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha.  

“The GSDP has reached approximately Rs 90,000 crore, and the per capita GDP has increased by 15%. The per capita income in our state is around Rs 1,06,000. From 2004 to 2014, during the Congress government, Tripura received Rs 8,900 crore as tax devolution. After PM Modi took office, in the last 10 years, this amount increased to Rs 47,160 crore, marking a 5% rise. In terms of Grant-in-Aid, from 2004 to 2014, Tripura received Rs 31,285 crore, while from 2014 to 2024, it rose to Rs 62,000 crore,” he informed reporters.  

Under the 4G saturation project, the Union Minister said that around 119 towers will be set up in Tripura, of which 90 have already been installed, with completion expected by June.  

“Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura are covered under one package. Around Rs 500 crore will be allocated to these three states for the 4G saturation project,” he added.

Also Read: Tripura: Jyotiraditya Scindia slams Congress for neglecting indigenous community