GUWAHATI, Dec 4: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday credited the rapid transformation of the Northeast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, alleging that the Congress had left the region “disturbed and ignored for decades.”
Speaking on the region’s development trajectory, Sonowal said he had personally witnessed the “long years of neglect” when the Northeast was declared a “Disturbed Area” under Congress rule. In contrast, he claimed the last 11 years under the Modi government had brought “peace, stability and unprecedented investment.”
Accusing the Congress of failing to realise the region’s strategic and economic potential, Sonowal said repeated misgovernance had isolated the Northeast from national progress. “Congress caused disturbance and halted development,” he stated.
Highlighting key infrastructure gains, the minister cited the ongoing railway connectivity to Aizawl—“once unimaginable”—as an example of the Centre’s focused thrust on connectivity, logistics and economic integration. He said improved security and investment-friendly policies were now positioning the Northeast as a major contributor to India’s growth story.
Sonowal asserted that the region had transformed from a “neglected frontier” to a “rising economic hub,” crediting the Centre’s sustained attention and long-term planning.
