A recent report presented in the Rajya Sabha reveals that infrastructure development in Northeast India is facing a significant bottleneck, with over ₹3,200 crore currently lying unspent under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). As of December 31, 2025, more than 160 projects remain under implementation, facing a total central liability of ₹3,206.18 crore. Assam tops the list of unpaid dues with approximately ₹1,013 crore pending across 35 projects, followed by Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The backlog primarily affects critical sectors, with roads and bridges accounting for the largest share of stalled funds (₹1,402 crore), alongside substantial delays in education and healthcare infrastructure.
The government attributed these persistent delays to a variety of logistical and administrative challenges, including difficult geographic terrain, land acquisition hurdles, and the slow pace of statutory clearances. Notably, 30 projects sanctioned more than two years ago still have over 50% of their approved budgets unspent, highlighting a serious gap between fund allocation and ground-level execution. While the NESIDS framework aims to bridge the development gap through targeted investments in connectivity and public services, the current reality reflects a struggle to translate these financial commitments into completed projects due to localized execution issues and financial closure delays.
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