FM Sitharaman assures renewed push for externally aided projects in Northeast
New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assured a renewed push by the Centre to accelerate Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the Northeast, following a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya in the national capital on Wednesday.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Sitharaman to discuss issues concerning EAPs in their respective states and ways to increase capital expenditure and create new avenues for infrastructure development in the region.
Sangma, in a post on X, said the meeting focused on matters related to externally aided projects and thanked the Union Finance Minister for her continued support for the aspirations of Meghalaya and the Northeast.
Sarma said the discussions were aimed at increasing capital expenditure in the region and giving fresh impetus to the implementation of EAPs in Assam and Meghalaya.
“We made a strong case to bring a new impetus to the pace of Externally Aided Projects in both of our states, which will open new investment channels for physical and social infrastructure,” Sarma said in a post on X.
He added that Sitharaman responded positively to the proposals and assured the Chief Ministers of a renewed push from the Government of India to advance the development agenda.
The meeting assumes significance as externally aided projects play an important role in supporting large-scale infrastructure and social development initiatives in the Northeast. Such projects are generally supported through financial assistance from multilateral and bilateral development agencies, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The projects cover areas such as roads, urban infrastructure, water supply, health, education, connectivity and other sectors that require substantial capital investment.
For the Northeast, faster implementation of these projects is expected to strengthen infrastructure while also improving the region’s ability to attract private investment and create new economic opportunities.
The Assam and Meghalaya governments have been seeking greater central support to speed up project clearances and implementation of externally aided initiatives, which can bring additional resources into the states without placing the entire financial burden on state budgets.
The latest discussions also underline the Centre’s broader focus on increasing public and development expenditure in the Northeast and improving physical and social infrastructure across the region.
The Chief Ministers’ meeting with Sitharaman is expected to provide fresh momentum to ongoing and proposed EAPs in Assam and Meghalaya, while opening additional channels of development financing for the two states. Both state governments are expected to work with the Centre and funding agencies to address implementation-related issues and accelerate the rollout of projects.
–IANS
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