The Assam government on Thursday announced an ambitious infrastructure expansion plan, launching Asom Mala 4.0 with an investment of ₹10,000 crore to construct 800 km of high-quality roads over the next five years while highlighting connectivity projects worth more than ₹55,000 crore being implemented with the Centre.
Presenting the 2026-27 State Budget, Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the new phase would build on Asom Mala 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, under which projects valued at over ₹20,000 crore have already been undertaken.
He said Asom Mala 4.0 would be financed through the state’s own resources, Externally Aided Projects (EAPs), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and the New Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA).
Baruah outlined major infrastructure projects being executed in partnership with the Union government, including the ₹4,954-crore Guwahati Ring Road, the ₹22,864-crore Greenfield Silchar High-Speed Corridor, the ₹6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor and the ₹18,662-crore Gohpur-Numaligarh Brahmaputra Tunnel.
He said the Greenfield Silchar High-Speed Corridor would reduce travel time between Guwahati and Silchar from around eight-and-a-half hours to nearly five hours.
The minister also announced that the state is pursuing three major projects with the Centre—the ₹13,812-crore four-laning of the Baihata Chariali-Mission Chariali-Tezpur road, the ₹3,423-crore elevated corridor linking Guwahati Airport with Jalukbari, and a new bridge across the Brahmaputra connecting Morigaon and Darrang.
Preparatory work will also begin for two future access-controlled corridors between Barapani and Guwahati and between Guwahati and Siliguri, while Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) will be prepared for additional high-speed road projects.
On bridge infrastructure, Baruah said the ₹1,400-crore Majuli-Jorhat Bridge, including approach roads, is expected to be completed by December 2027, ensuring all-weather connectivity between Majuli and the mainland.
He added that the ₹3,197-crore Palashbari-Sualkuchi Bridge has achieved 49 per cent physical progress, while the ₹4,997-crore Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge has crossed 77 per cent completion. Once operational, the Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge will reduce the travel distance between the two locations from 260 km to just 20 km.
The Finance Minister further announced that a bridge over the Barak River at Gandhighat connecting Madhuramukh with Silchar has been sanctioned under the Setu Bandhan scheme. He reiterated the government’s long-term objective of providing at least one bridge across the Brahmaputra in every district.
In the railway sector, Baruah said the government would continue pursuing the extension of the railway line to Umrangso. A DPR for the proposed 15.87-km broad-gauge line from Langkula to Umrangso, estimated at ₹1,084 crore, was submitted to the Railway Board in June 2026. The project is expected to improve rail connectivity in the hill districts and support regional economic development.
