In a significant push to boost tourism infrastructure in India's northeastern region, Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has announced the development of two key tourist circuits on a 'pilot basis'. The identified circuits are the Sohra (Cherrapunji) circuit in Meghalaya and the Matabari circuit in Tripura.
World-Class Circuits for the Northeast
The announcement was made during a meeting of the consultative committee for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) held at Parliament on Wednesday. Scindia, who holds the portfolio for Communications and DoNER, stated that tourist circuits featuring world-class facilities would be developed in each of the eight northeastern states. The specific locations are being chosen in close consultation with the respective state governments.
Providing an update on the two pilot projects, the minister revealed that the foundation stone for the Meghalaya-Sohra Circuit has already been laid. Meanwhile, the proposal for the Tripura-Matabari Circuit is at an advanced stage of approval. "Besides strengthening of infrastructure, tourist circuit project will have a strong focus on capacity building to ensure availability of good quality skilled manpower to support the growth in tourism and for a better tourist experience," Scindia emphasized.
PM-DevINE: The Cornerstone Scheme
During the meeting, the minister highlighted the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) as the "most important scheme" of his ministry. Conceptualised in the Union Budget for 2022-2023, the scheme has a total financial outlay of Rs 6,600 crore for the four-year period from 2022-2023 to 2025-2026.
An official statement released on Thursday provided a detailed progress report. As of October 31, 2025:
- 44 projects worth approximately Rs 5,700 crore have been sanctioned under PM-DevINE.
- Out of these, 3 projects valued at about Rs 176 crore have been completed.
- The remaining 41 projects, with a cumulative worth of around Rs 5,500 crore, are currently under implementation.
- Additionally, projects worth Rs 111 crore have received in-principle approval, with more proposals worth Rs 625 crore in the pipeline.
The ministry expressed confidence that it is on track to fully utilize the scheme's allocated budget. Scindia also provided specifics on projects underway in states like Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Tripura.
Ensuring Accountability and Continuous Dialogue
The consultative committee meeting, attended by members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, forms a part of the government's ongoing dialogue regarding investment and developmental progress in the Northeast. Scindia stressed that officers from DoNER and the North Eastern Council (NEC) conduct regular on-ground inspections of projects. These inspections are further supplemented by third-party assessment mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in the execution of all initiatives.
The move to develop these pilot tourism circuits is expected to not only enhance visitor experience at iconic destinations like Cherrapunji but also create local employment opportunities through skill development, marking a holistic approach to regional growth.
