World Bank approves USD 680 million for three major projects in Assam

The World Bank has approved loans worth USD 680 million for three key development projects in Assam, aimed at strengthening climate resilience, improving governance and service delivery, and enhancing education and workforce readiness across the state.

In a statement issued on January 15, the Washington-based multilateral lender said its Board of Executive Directors cleared the projects on Tuesday to help Assam respond to extreme weather events, improve public administration, and equip more than four million students with skills needed to succeed in the job market.

The largest component is the USD 350 million Assam Disaster Resilient Hill Roads Development Project, which will focus on building climate-resilient road infrastructure, particularly in hilly and difficult terrain. The project is expected to reduce travel time and improve access for around 190,000 people, largely from tribal and rural communities. It will also strengthen connectivity through upgraded transport and logistics hubs equipped with truck and container bays, taxi and bus terminals, and electric vehicle charging points.

Another USD 250 million has been approved for the Assam School Education and Adolescent Wellbeing Project. The initiative aims to improve learning outcomes for more than two million primary school students across the state, while preparing an additional two million adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years for future employment. The programme will focus on life-skills training and curriculum enhancement, including the introduction of multilingual instruction.

The third project, the USD 80 million Assam Governance and Service Delivery Program, is designed to strengthen public financial management and improve the delivery of administrative services to citizens and businesses. It will also support the development of a robust data ecosystem to enhance transparency, efficiency, and evidence-based policymaking in the state.

According to the World Bank, all three loans will have a final maturity of 16 years, including a grace period of three years, providing Assam with long-term financing to implement the reforms and infrastructure projects.