The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a greenfield high-speed corridor between Mawlyngkhung in Meghalaya and Panchgram in Assam, with an estimated capital outlay of ₹22,864 crore, aimed at significantly enhancing connectivity across the Northeast and boosting regional economic development.
The 166.80-kilometre project, part of National Highway 6 (NH-6), will be developed under the hybrid annuity mode. Of the total length, 144.80 kilometres fall within Meghalaya while 22 kilometres are in Assam.
According to an official statement, “The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal for the development, maintenance and management of four-lane greenfield access-controlled 166.80 km of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlyngkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on hybrid annuity mode... at a total capital cost of ₹22,864 crore.”
Briefing the media on Cabinet decisions, Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said the proposed corridor will markedly improve traffic flow between Guwahati and Silchar, in addition to enhancing inter-state road connectivity across Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak Valley.
“The development of this corridor will improve the connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and the Barak Valley region of Assam from mainland and Guwahati with substantially reduced travel distance and travel time,” the official statement noted.
The corridor is also expected to decongest the current NH-06, which links these regions but is plagued by heavy traffic and terrain-induced bottlenecks.
Highlighting its potential to contribute to national logistics efficiency, the government said the project would spur inter-city connectivity, traversing through Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, and Assam’s Cachar district.
The corridor would benefit national and international tourists travelling via Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, and Silchar Airport. “This corridor will cater to the national and international tourists coming from well-connected Guwahati Airport, Shillong Airport, and Silchar Airport (via existing NH-06), connecting Guwahati to Silchar,” the statement read. It is also expected to promote the region’s scenic attractions and develop tourism.
The highway will pass through cement and coal production belts in Meghalaya, potentially giving a fillip to local industry. “The corridor will improve connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya and spur economic development, including the development of industries in Meghalaya,” the statement said.
The project aligns with the central government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, focused on multi-modal connectivity and infrastructure development. It is also projected to create employment opportunities and bring socio-economic upliftment across the five beneficiary states—Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Upon completion, the Shillong-Silchar Corridor is expected to become a vital arterial route in the Northeast, connecting key urban centres including Guwahati, Shillong, Silchar, Imphal, Aizawl and Agartala.
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