Assam: Parliament was informed on January 30 that the central government has spent over ₹9,195 crore through the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) since 2021, and the total government expenditure in the Northeast over the last four financial years has exceeded ₹3.46 lakh crore.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, DoNER Minister of State Dr. Sukanta Majumdar said that this expenditure covers several sectors, including road infrastructure, healthcare, education, civil aviation, and power, as part of the government’s efforts to transform the Northeast into a major growth engine for the country.
Dr. Majumdar stated that the central government is following the “Act East, Act Fast, Act First” principle to promote rapid and inclusive development in the North Eastern Region (NER). Under the 10 percent Gross Budgetary Support mechanism, all non-exempt central ministries and departments are mandated to earmark at least 10 percent of their budgetary allocation for the development of the Northeast.
According to the data shared in Parliament, the total expenditure on development works in the NER over the last four financial years amounted to ₹3.46 lakh crore, exceeding the total allocation of ₹3.20 lakh crore. In 2021-22, the actual expenditure was ₹70,874 crore against a revised estimate of ₹68,440 crore. In 2022-23, the expenditure surged to ₹82,691 crore against a revised estimate of ₹72,540 crore. This trend continued in 2023-24, with ₹1,02,749 crore spent against a revised estimate of ₹91,802 crore.
For the financial year 2024-25, the government spent ₹89,734.40 crore against a revised estimate of ₹87,736 crore, maintaining the expenditure above the allocated levels. Overall, actual expenditure during the four-year period was approximately 108 percent of the revised estimates. The government stated that the consistent overspending demonstrates its commitment to addressing the long-standing development deficits in the Northeast, improving connectivity and basic services, and integrating the region more closely with national and regional growth corridors.
Dr. Majumdar further added that the investments under various central schemes aim to ensure balanced development across all eight Northeastern states, while also strengthening the strategic and economic importance of the region under India’s broader Act East Policy.
