Meghalaya freezes state-funded foreign trips for six months amid austerity push

The Meghalaya government has suspended all state-funded foreign visits by ministers, MLAs and government officials for six months as part of an austerity drive aimed at cutting non-essential expenditure and protecting funds for development programmes.

A notification issued by the General Administration Department on June 10 said the decision was taken in the larger public interest and in line with measures to rationalise spending amid global economic uncertainties, rising geopolitical tensions and pressure on foreign exchange resources.

Under the order, all official overseas visits funded by the state government have been put on hold for six months. The restriction applies to both permanent and contractual employees of the government.

The move has led to the postponement of eight proposed foreign study tours and exposure visits involving around 63 to 68 officials and representatives from different departments. The programmes were focused on areas such as governance, livestock development, climate-resilient water management, healthcare systems, project implementation, environmental management and electoral administration.

The planned visits included destinations such as the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Argentina.

The notification stated that the measure had been imposed “in public interest and for complying with austerity measures”.

Officials said the temporary suspension should not be seen as a retreat from international cooperation or knowledge-sharing. “Rather, it reflects a temporary pause in expenditure-bearing overseas travel while ensuring continued focus on governance priorities within the state,” an official said.

The government maintained that several of the intended collaborations and learning opportunities would continue through virtual engagements, technical partnerships and other channels during the restriction period.

However, the order does not cover foreign visits that are fully funded by the Government of India or entirely sponsored by multilateral development banks, provided the required political clearance is obtained from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Officials said the decision is intended to curb non-essential spending and ensure that public resources remain available for development projects and other priority commitments of the state government.