Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister of the nation, has proposed adding more and stronger wings to take forward the air connectivity and aviation infrastructure in the country’s north-eastern region to new heights for the development of newer heights. In the budget meeting, She proposed a higher allocation of Rs 12,477 crore as the capital for the restart of 100 RCS routes, viability gap funding for NE connectivity, and to improve overall connectivity in the region. 22 important airports will also be revived, and there will be a capital boost for viability gap funding.

Providing connectivity of air along with the aviation infrastructure in the region of North East area, the new scheme was sanctioned the previous year by the Union Cabinet. This decision was taken in order to encourage and promote the connectivity of air in various regions and states of India. This step will also be followed the same way to develop the air connectivity infrastructure if required.

infrastructure

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to take forward the air connectivity and aviation infrastructure.

In April last year, HAL Dornier Do-228 from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, which is the first flight that was made in India took off in the month of April the previous year, as a part of this development scheme. Alliance Air will play as the first commercial airline in India to fly a made-in-India aircraft for civil operations. The inauguration of the first FTO (Flying Training Organisation) for the region of the northeast took place under the same scheme at Lilabari in the state of Assam.  

New airports are being built in the northeast regions and airports that are ageing are being refurbished as a result of the strategic importance of the growth of the northeastern region. Under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) initiative of the centre, major emphasis has been placed on helicopter operations due to the steep terrain in the region.

In addition to this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested allocating the capital of Rs 56.98 crore for all the expenses related to downstream project protection activities for the contentious Subansiri Lower project (NHPC). The cost of the downstream protection work for the Subansiri Lower project would be covered by the Central department, per a decision made at a NITI Aayog meeting in 2019.

infrastructure

 

New airports are being built in the northeast regions.

Sitharaman has also proposed Rs 10,565 crore for the Special Accelerated Road Development Program (SARDP) that is there in the Northeastern Areas, which will be funded by the National Investment Fund. This amount includes the trans-Arunachal highway and Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project as well as other road development projects of the area, such as connectivity of the capital, district connectivity, connectivity to international borders, improvement and strengthening of roads in the area, and Sikkim.

Additionally, Sitharaman has also suggested increasing the northeastern region’s subsidy from Rs 811 crore last year to Rs 1633.02 crore. This provision is for payment to oil firms on account of subsidies for the delivery of natural gas to the region, as well as for subsidy on account of arrears from previous years for freight subsidy and subsidy on LPG and kerosene for PDS.