Meghalaya driving growth with Rs 2,518 crore in externally aided projects: CM Sangma

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly today that his government is currently implementing 15 externally aided projects (EAPs) in the state with a total funding of Rs 2,518 crore received over the last five years.

Responding to questions raised by Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma during the ongoing Budget Session, the chief minister provided details about various development initiatives being executed with international funding support.

"The total amount spent across these projects so far stands at Rs 2,797.41 crore," CM Sangma stated in his written reply, which was placed on the Table of the House.

Among the major projects, the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP) has seen the highest expenditure at Rs 933.01 crore, followed by the Meghalaya Livelihood and Access to Markets Project (Megha-LAMP) at Rs 619.55 crore, and the Meghalaya Power Distribution Sector Improvement Project at Rs 517.19 crore.

Other significant initiatives include the Community-Based Forest Management & Livelihoods Improvement project (MegLIFE) at Rs 206.55 crore and the Meghalaya Eco-Tourism Infrastructure Development Project (MEIDP) at Rs 203.58 crore.

The Chief Minister confirmed that consultants have been engaged in implementing these projects, though specific details about consultants and their terms of reference are still being compiled.

Some newly launched programs include the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission with an expenditure of Rs 3.72 crore so far, and the Climate Adaptive Community-Based Water Harvesting Project at Rs 1.22 crore.

The Meghalaya Program for Adolescent Wellbeing, Employment and Resilience (MPOWER) is also listed among the 15 projects, though expenditure data shows zero spending recorded thus far, suggesting it may be in early implementation stages.

When asked about project status reports, beneficiary lists, and component-wise expenditure breakdowns, the Chief Minister indicated that this information is currently "being compiled" and would be provided at a later date.

The Assembly session also addressed other issues including MGNREGA wage payment delays across various districts and power supply challenges in several villages throughout the state.