New Delhi, February 2: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday accused the Congress party of plundering the Northeast’s resources and neglecting the region for decades, while asserting that the Modi government has restored hope, dignity and development across the region.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha while moving the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Sonowal said the speech reflected a decisive break from the past and highlighted India’s journey towards inclusive growth and a Viksit Bharat. He described the Address as a historic verdict on what he termed the failures of the Congress era and a declaration of irreversible national transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sonowal alleged that despite the Northeast’s abundance of oil, gas, tea, hydropower, forests and strategic importance, Congress governments systematically extracted its wealth without reinvesting in regional development. Infrastructure projects, he said, were sanctioned only after prolonged agitations, leaving generations of youth unemployed and the region disconnected from the national mainstream.
Taking aim at Congress’ claims of representing the Northeast, Sonowal said even a decade-long tenure of a Prime Minister from Assam failed to translate into meaningful progress. “Representation without resolve is meaningless,” he remarked, adding that the party lacked both political will and vision for the region.
Highlighting changes since 2014, Sonowal said the Modi government transformed the Northeast from a neglected periphery into a national priority. He cited unprecedented investments in highways, railways, bridges, tunnels, airports and digital connectivity, along with major projects such as the Bogibeel Bridge, Dhola-Sadiya Bridge and Sela Tunnel, as symbols of the region’s integration and growth.
Sonowal also underscored cultural and social empowerment, saying tribal communities and tea garden workers - long treated as vote banks—are now at the centre of governance through direct benefit transfers, improved education, healthcare, infrastructure and national recognition of their cultural heritage.
Concluding his address, Sonowal said the people of the Northeast have rejected what he described as Congress’ “politics of plunder” in favour of governance focused on delivery, transparency and dignity. He called upon the opposition to abandon obstructionist politics and join the national journey of reform, asserting that the era of neglect is over and the Northeast’s future is firmly aligned with New India’s vision.
