NEW DELHI: Describing the Northeast as an engine of India’s development, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia said on October 12 the region was emerging as a significant contributor to the country’s economic growth.
Inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 331 crore in Mizoram, Scindia said that while India was recording economic growth of around 7 –7.5 per cent, the Northeast was increasingly contributing to the country’s growth trajectory.
He said this was his 35th visit to the region and that every visit strengthened his commitment to the development of the eight Northeastern states, often referred to as the Ashtalakshmi states. Highlighting Mizoram’s improving connectivity through roads, railways and air transport, the Union Minister described the 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang railway line as a historic milestone that brought the state onto India’s railway map and improved access to major economic centres.
The railway line has facilitated the movement of more than 15 lakh passengers through over 1,100 train trips, connecting Aizawl with Guwahati, Kolkata and Delhi. The introduction of the Sairang-Silchar service has further strengthened connectivity with the Barak Valley. Scindia also referred to the arrival of the first Food Corporation of India foodgrain rake at Sairang in March 2026, carrying around 26,000 quintals of rice from Punjab in 42 wagons.
