The North Eastern Council (NEC), the apex statutory body responsible for regional planning and development in the northeastern states, has reported a significant milestone in the financial year 2025-26, with total expenditure reaching Rs 1,496.78 crore, stated an official release.
This marks a notable acceleration in development efforts across the region.
According to official data, Rs 792.12 crore was utilized under the Schemes of NEC (SoNEC), while Rs 704.66 crore was spent under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme – Roads (NESIDS-Roads), highlighting a strong push toward infrastructure and connectivity.
During the year, NEC sanctioned 54 new projects worth Rs 435.22 crore — the highest number approved in a single year during the ongoing 15th Finance Commission period. These projects span sectors such as higher education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, industry, and cultural preservation.
Additionally, 162 non-project initiatives —including festivals, workshops, seminars, and awareness programmes — were approved with a total outlay of Rs 24.06 crore. This brings the total value of new sanctions in FY 2025-26 to Rs 459.28 crore.
The Council also recorded substantial progress in project execution. A total of 136 projects worth Rs 678.85 crore were completed during the year, marking the second-highest annual completion rate in the current Finance Commission cycle.
Further, 161 non-project activities worth Rs 17.28 crore were successfully concluded, taking the total number of completed deliverables to 297.
Under the NESIDS-Roads scheme, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region sanctioned 64 road projects worth Rs 3,037.39 crore across the eight northeastern states during the 15th Finance Commission period. Of these, 30 projects worth Rs 1,123.08 crore have been completed so far.
In FY 2025-26 alone, expenditure under the scheme reached Rs 704.66 crore, contributing to key infrastructure such as bridges and road upgrades aimed at improving regional connectivity.
To ensure effective implementation, the NEC Secretariat conducted 405 field inspections of ongoing projects during the year. This extensive monitoring effort is aimed at maintaining quality, ensuring timely completion, and enhancing accountability.
A major governance achievement for NEC has been the sharp reduction in committed financial liabilities and pending utilisation certificates (UCs). Committed liabilities declined from Rs 1,743.48 crore in April 2022 to Rs 813.17 crore by March 2026 — a reduction of over 53 per cent.
Meanwhile, pending UCs dropped dramatically from Rs 440.82 crore in April 2025 to just Rs 10.94 crore by early 2026, reflecting a 97 per cent reduction within a single financial year.
