News Desk, New Delhi: In a major step toward accelerating development in the Northeast, the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on infrastructure and logistics connectivity has decided to formulate a comprehensive regional master plan for the North Eastern Region (NER). The move aims to unlock the economic and strategic potential of the region by addressing connectivity challenges across sectors. The HLTF meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Communications and DoNER, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, and co-chaired by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Senior officials from all eight northeastern states and key central ministries participated in the meeting. The discussions centered on state-specific infrastructure hurdles, with a focus on improving road, rail, air, waterways, digital, and logistics networks. CM Sarma emphasized NER’s role as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia and flagged high transport costs as a key bottleneck. Mizoram raised concerns over inflated logistics costs impacting commodity prices, while Sikkim highlighted recurring disruptions on NH-10 and sought climate-resilient alternatives. The state also urged for better cross-border trade infrastructure with Nepal. Arunachal Pradesh demanded enhanced connectivity in its remote areas. Minister Scindia outlined plans for a unified infrastructure grid, multimodal logistics hubs, and improved digital and power transmission. Projects under the master plan will be integrated into the PM GatiShakti portal for better coordination. States were urged to update logistics policies ahead of the next North Eastern Council meeting. The HLTF is one of eight task forces constituted to drive key sectoral growth in the region.
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