Centre Approves Rs 1,970 Crore For Northeast Projects, Focuses On Agarwood And Tourism Development

The Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has sanctioned 86 projects valued at Rs 1,970.54 crore for the eight northeastern states in 2024.

Of the approved amount, Rs 1,590.81 crore has already been disbursed under various schemes as of 15 December.

The projects were approved under multiple initiatives, including the NorthEast Special Infrastructure Development Scheme-Other Than Roads Infrastructure (NESIDS-OTRI), North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme - Roads (NESIDS-Roads), the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE), schemes of the North Eastern Council (NEC), and special development packages.

To ensure effective implementation and monitoring, Union Ministers have visited the northeastern region over 723 times between January 2015 and November 2024.

These visits are tracked through the "Poorvottar Sampark Setu" portal, which provides detailed insights into state-wise and district-wise ministerial visits.

Recommendations made during these visits are reviewed periodically by the Minister of State for DoNER.

The ministry has also formed two task forces focusing on the Agarwood and tourism sectors. Officials highlighted the significant economic and trade potential of Agarwood, a valuable tree native to the region used for medicinal and fragrance purposes.

“Recognising its potential, an Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMTF) was constituted by the DoNER Ministry to streamline and enhance the Agarwood industry in the region towards sustainable development and global competitiveness,” a senior official said.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha noted that the state government is actively promoting the Agarwood sector, which was previously neglected.

"The present government is continuously working to expand and develop the Agarwood industry by adopting several plans," Saha said, adding that there are over 12 million agar trees in Tripura’s private sector. The Centre has approved the export of 25 metric tons of Agarwood chips and 1,500 kg of Agar oil from India.

Additionally, an Inter-Ministerial Tourism Task Force has been established to develop one world-class tourism site per northeastern state, secure GI status for 200 unique products, and promote cultural identity and brand recognition.

To showcase the region’s heritage, the DoNER Ministry organised the first-ever 'Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav' from 6-8 December at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the event highlighted the northeast's textiles, tourism, craftsmanship, and GI-tagged products.

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