Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Government of India has proposed an allocation of Rs 19,499.09 crore in the Union Budget 2025-26 for road development in the Northeast region (NER) under the Special Accelerated Road Development Program (SARDP). The proposed fund will be allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for projects in NE during the financial year 2025-26.
The Union Budget was tabled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on February 1, 2025. In the budget, the proposed allocation is provided in the Notes on Demands for Grants, 2025-26 (Demand no. 86) for the MoRTH.
The central government has proposed the allocation in two parts—Rs 11,000 crore and Rs 8499.09 crore. The amount of Rs 11,000 crore is earmarked for the Special Accelerated Road Development Program (SARDP) for North Eastern Areas financed from the National Investment Fund, and Rs 8499.09 crore is proposed under SARDP for NER financed from Gross Budgetary Support (GBS).
GBS provides for at least 10% of the total budget of different central ministries to be earmarked for the development of NER. The provision is for SARDP, Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh, and other road development projects, including capital connectivity, district connectivity, connectivity to the international border, and improvement and strengthening of roads in the North Eastern Region. This is financed from the National Investment Fund.
SARDP for NER financed from GBS: The provision is for SARDP, Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh, and other road development projects, including capital connectivity, district connectivity, connectivity to the international border, and improvement and strengthening of roads in the North Eastern Region. This is financed from GBS.
The revised budget for SARDP-NE in the ongoing financial year of 2024-25 is Rs 19,445 crore. The Union Budget for 2025-26 has increased the amount by Rs 54.09 crore, taking the proposed budgetary allocation for SARDP-NE to Rs 19,499.09 crore.
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