Promises Meet Rough Roads: On Poor Connectivity in Northeast India

Like many central leaders who have visited Northeastern states, Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia was all praise for the region, saying that his recent visit to Assam and Meghalaya has left him “deeply moved and profoundly inspired”. Sharing his experience and thoughts in an article, he wrote that “the government of India is transforming the Northeast into a vibrant centre of connectivity, culture, and commerce”. “As connectivity deepens through new air routes, highways, and digital corridors, the Northeast is emerging as India’s natural gateway to Southeast Asia,” he wrote, adding, “Under the PM’s vision of Act East, Act Fast, Act First, this region is not just the frontier of India; it is now its forward face.” It sounds good—like music to the ears. But many visitors—lawmakers and government officials—too have spoken highly of the region, from its rich and beautiful landscape to its potential in the tourism industry, and of course about numerous central schemes and how the incumbent government is transforming the region by giving special emphasis to its development in all possible ways. The only difference is Scindia’s narration of the Northeast’s “breathtaking beauty” and its progress has garnered attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had made a mention of the same on X. What they all have fallen short of mentioning is the implementation of funds on the ground and the progress made in providing basic facilities like roads.

The centre’s commitment to addressing development gaps is undeniable, and it is reflected in the fund allocation for the Northeast in the Union Budget (2025-26), which saw an increase of 47 per cent from the previous year, focusing on connectivity, tourism, and MSMEs. Visible progress has been made in the rail network, which is commendable, but the same cannot be said for road connectivity, at least in Nagaland. Officials often travel by air during their visits to the Northeast, which means they miss the ground realities. For instance, had inclement weather not compelled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to travel the Dimapur-Kohima road by car during his visit to the state in 2003, he would have believed that everything was as it appeared on paper. The reality was bumpy. “I was told that, of all the roads in the State, this is the best. If this is the best, it is difficult to imagine how bad the worst is,” he remarked during a public reception in Kohima. The experience prompted him to announce the Dimapur-Kohima four-lane highway project. Ironically, this dream project remains incomplete to this day, and it is implemented by centrally-owned National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). Now, you can imagine the condition of the inter-village and district roads. To gain a true understanding of connectivity, one must take to the road, quite literally. And progress should be assessed based on actual implementation rather than on hearsay.