In a major push to consolidate peace and development in the Northeast, the Union Cabinet has approved a comprehensive funding package worth ₹7,250 crore for Assam and Tripura, including ₹4,000 crore for infrastructure development in areas covered under recent peace accords with various ethnic groups. The allocation follows a series of Memorandums of Settlement (MoS) signed over the past three years with groups such as the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-2023), Adivasi organisations (2022), Dimasa outfits including the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) and Dimasa People’s Supreme Council (DPSC) (2023), and Tripura-based factions like the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) (2024).
Under the approved plan, ₹3,000 crore will be spent on statewide infrastructure projects in Assam, while ₹500 crore each will target development in Adivasi-inhabited areas and in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council region — home to Dimasa groups. In Tripura, ₹250 crore will be invested in projects designed to uplift tribal communities as per the MoS commitments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailing the decision, said it would “boost development in the region and ensure new opportunities for youngsters and women.” The Centre’s funding, worth ₹4,250 crore, will be complemented by an additional ₹3,000 crore from the Assam state government’s own resources.
The projects, spread over a five-year period in Assam and four years in Tripura, will focus on improving roads, health facilities, education, skill development, and livelihood opportunities. Special emphasis will be placed on enhancing tourism to create fresh income sources and jobs, particularly for women and youth. Officials said the move is aimed at ensuring that vulnerable and marginalised communities — many of whom have not fully benefited from earlier schemes — receive targeted support. Lakhs of people from Adivasi, Dimasa, and other tribal communities stand to gain from this initiative.