Assam's Central Projects See Rs 36,000 Crore Cost Overrun Across 8 Sectors

Central infrastructure projects in Assam have seen a combined cost overrun of over Rs 36,000 crore, according to the latest data from a federal project monitoring portal — with the electricity generation and oil and gas sectors recording the steepest increases.

The figures come from a February 2026 report on the PAIMANA portal, run by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, which tracks central sector projects worth Rs 150 crore and above across the country.

The Scale of the Overrun

There are currently 89 such projects being implemented in Assam, with an original approved cost of Rs 1,20,747 crore.

Revised estimates now place the total cost at Rs 1,56,880 crore — a jump of Rs 36,053 crore, or roughly 30 per cent above the original budget.

As of February 2026, cumulative expenditure on these projects stands at Rs 98,670 crore.

Also Read: Five Assam Infrastructure Projects Worth Rs 9,631 Crore Added to Central Monitoring Portal

Which Sectors Saw the Biggest Increases

Of the 12 sectors covered under the central projects in Assam, 8 recorded cost escalation. The increases varied widely in scale.

The electricity generation sector saw the most dramatic jump — from Rs 6,285 crore to Rs 26,075 crore, a near four-fold increase. The oil and gas sector also recorded a sharp rise, climbing from Rs 27,720 crore to Rs 38,075 crore.

Other sectors that saw escalation include roads and highways (Rs 48,664 crore to Rs 49,270 crore), railways (Rs 18,227 crore to Rs 19,942 crore), energy storage (Rs 10,768 crore to Rs 11,947 crore), transmission and distribution (Rs 5,111 crore to Rs 6,700 crore), aviation infrastructure (Rs 1,712 crore to Rs 2,520 crore), and healthcare (Rs 143 crore to Rs 154 crore).

Four Sectors Held Their Budget

Not all sectors ran over their original estimates. The coal, education, telecommunication, and water resources sectors reported no cost escalation, according to the PAIMANA data.

What Is PAIMANA?

The PAIMANA portal — which stands for Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-building — is the central government's primary tool for tracking the progress and financial status of large infrastructure projects nationwide.

The portal flags delays, cost revisions, and implementation gaps, and feeds into policy reviews at the ministerial level.