From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Feb 1: The Union Budget for 2025 saw an increase in allocation to Ministry of DoNER with a budget estimate of Rs 5915 crore for 2025-26 which is 47.6% rise over last fiscal’s revised estimate of previous year.
The budget also includes Rs 2,615.38 crore for schemes in the Northeast. But barring the Urea plant there are no other big-ticket schemes or projects for the region comprising as many as eight states.
The major beneficiary of the current budget is Assam being the biggest state with announcement of setting up a 12.7 lakh metric tonne gas-based urea plant in Namrup. Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharam hailed the announcement as a “game-changer” for the region’s agricultural sector, which is expected to see enhanced productivity.
The Union Budget 2025-26 has ushered in a host of initiatives poised to transform Assam and the broader Northeast region, he said. It has focused on regional connectivity, agricultural productivity, socio-economic development, and infrastructure upgrades.
There are not many Budget provisions which directly benefit the Northeast, but there are initiatives which will indirectly benefit the region. Such initiatives mostly include in the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Civil Aviation.
The Budget also prioritised regional connectivity with an expanded UDAN scheme. The updated plan aims to connect 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore passengers over the next decade some of which will connect the region. For the hilly, aspirational, and remote districts of the Northeast, the scheme includes helipads and smaller airports, promising improved accessibility. Enhanced connectivity is likely to boost tourism in the region.
Similarly, the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 programme will provide nutritional support to more than 8 crore children, 1 crore pregnant women, and lactating mothers across India, including about 20 lakh adolescent girls in the Northeast. But there was no announcement for the ailing tea sector for which the region is famous.
The Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) hailed the budget, which, it said will boost the region’s economy. Bajrang Lohia, its president, said that the Budget prioritises agricultural reforms, which are expected to greatly benefit the agrarian economy of the Northeast, with specific programmes aimed at bolstering growth in rural areas.
The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana will cover 100 agricultural districts, including those in the Northeast. This initiative will promote crop diversification, irrigation, storage, and credit access, benefiting 1.7 crore farmers nationwide.
The government’s focus on tourism includes special incentives for Buddhist tourism circuits in the Northeast alongside performance-linked incentives for destination management, tourist amenities, and connectivity. MUDRA loans for homestays will empower local entrepreneurs and promote grassroots tourism in the region.
The increased allocation of Rs 5915 crore to Ministry of DoNER shows the government’s commitment to the region’s development. Chairman of the ICC Assam and Meghalaya Committee, Sarat Kumar Jain, praised the initiatives, emphasising their transformative potential.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma lauded Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for announcing the modified UDAN scheme to enhance regional connectivity through helipads and smaller airports for the hilly, aspirational districts of the Northeast. His Manipur counterpart, N Biren Singh said Manipur and the rest of the Northeast have already seen a transformative change in air connectivity under the UDAN scheme, which has boosted travel, tourism, and trade and commerce, contributing to the growth of the entire region.
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio appreciated the government for its efforts for inclusive growth and empowerment by focusing on farmers, rural prosperity, regional connectivity, and women entrepreneurs from SC/ST communities. Other Chief Ministers and MPs from the Northeast, most of them from the BJP-led NDA, also hailed the budget presented by Finance Minister.
