Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Vice-Chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, today highlighted the Ministry’s transformative initiatives and reviewed the recommendations of eight High-Level Task Forces during the 73rd Plenary Meeting of the North Eastern Council held in Shillong under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah.
Addressing the plenary attended by Governors, Chief Ministers and senior officials from the eight North Eastern States, Shri Scindia said that the Ministry of DoNER has evolved into a facilitator, coordinator and bridge for the development of the region, guided by the Three-C framework of Connect, Converge and Catalyse.
He informed that eight High-Level Task Forces constituted following the 72nd NEC Plenary Meeting had submitted action plans and recommendations covering investment promotion, agriculture and horticulture, handicrafts, infrastructure and connectivity, economic corridors, self-reliance in livestock and fisheries, sports and tourism. The task forces, chaired by Chief Ministers and supported by representatives from the Centre and States, were established to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for the future development of the North East and to enable the region to contribute significantly to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Shri Scindia informed that the recommendations of the task forces would be submitted to the NEC Chairman for further consideration and implementation. He also noted that a proposal has been made to establish a High-Level Steering Committee comprising the concerned Chief Ministers and Union Ministers to monitor implementation of the recommendations.
Highlighting the Ministry’s recent achievements, Shri Scindia said that expenditure under the Ministry of DoNER has increased from around ₹1,000 crore in 2022–23 to nearly ₹4,000 crore over the past two years, while the Ministry has secured a budget allocation of ₹6,500 crore for the current financial year. Several reforms have been introduced to simplify project approvals, improve transparency and ensure timely fund flow.
The Minister highlighted the success of the Rising North East Investment Summit, which attracted participation from over 100 ambassadors and resulted in investment commitments worth approximately ₹4.5 lakh crore. He noted that investments worth nearly ₹40,000 crore have already been grounded since the summit held in May 2025, reflecting growing investor confidence in the region.
On financial inclusion, Shri Scindia informed that 131 new bank branches have been established across the North East during the last 15 months, while 6,500 previously unbanked villages have now been brought under the formal banking network. He added that digital payments adoption in the region has reached nearly 90 per cent through UPI.
