Shillong, April 22: The North Eastern Council (NEC), the apex statutory body for regional planning and development in India’s northeastern states, reported a major milestone in the financial year 2025–26, with total expenditure reaching ₹1,496.78 crore.
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| The Secretariat of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong, Meghalaya |
According to official data, ₹792.12 crore was utilised under the Schemes of NEC (SoNEC), while ₹704.66 crore was spent under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme – Roads, indicating a strong focus on improving infrastructure and connectivity across the region.
Highest Project Sanctions in Current Finance Cycle
During the year, NEC sanctioned 54 new projects worth ₹435.22 crore, the highest number approved in a single year during the ongoing 15th Finance Commission of India period.
The projects cover key sectors including higher education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, industry, and cultural preservation.
In addition, 162 non-project initiatives such as festivals, workshops, seminars and awareness programmes were approved with an outlay of ₹24.06 crore, bringing the total value of new sanctions in FY 2025–26 to ₹459.28 crore.
Strong Project Execution
The council also recorded significant progress in implementation. A total of 136 projects worth ₹678.85 crore were completed during the year, marking the second-highest completion rate in the current Finance Commission cycle.
Alongside these, 161 non-project activities worth ₹17.28 crore were successfully concluded, taking the total number of completed deliverables to 297.
Major Gains in Road Infrastructure
Under the NESIDS-Roads scheme, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region sanctioned 64 road projects worth ₹3,037.39 crore across the eight northeastern states during the 15th Finance Commission period.
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Out of these, 30 projects worth ₹1,123.08 crore have already been completed. In FY 2025–26 alone, expenditure under the scheme reached ₹704.66 crore, supporting the construction of bridges and road upgrades aimed at improving regional connectivity.
Enhanced Monitoring and Financial Discipline
To strengthen implementation, the NEC Secretariat conducted 405 field inspections of ongoing projects during the year to ensure quality, timely completion and accountability.
The council also reported a sharp improvement in financial discipline. Committed liabilities declined from ₹1,743.48 crore in April 2022 to ₹813.17 crore by March 2026, a reduction of more than 53 percent.
Similarly, pending utilisation certificates (UCs) dropped dramatically from ₹440.82 crore in April 2025 to ₹10.94 crore by early 2026, marking a 97 percent reduction within a single financial year.
Vision for a Developed Northeast
NEC officials thanked state governments and implementing agencies for their cooperation in advancing development priorities in the region.
Guided by the leadership of the Union Home Minister as NEC Chairperson and the DoNER Minister as Vice-Chairperson, the council reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the vision of a “Viksit North East” by 2047, aligned with the national goal of “Viksit Bharat.”
