Meghalaya proposes projects worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore to 16th Finance Commission

During a meeting with the 16th Finance Commission, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma proposed projects worth Rs 1.2 lakh crore, according to officials. 

Presenting a presentation before the commission, Sangma extended the proposal to the Arvind Panagariya-led 16th Finance Commission. 

The commission will make its recommendations available by October 31, 2025, covering an award period of five years commencing April 1, 2026.

Lauding the presentation, Panagariya told reporters, "The chief minister was very engaged. One could see the passion and the engagement he has with the state's development. We were very impressed with what we saw. The presentation itself was very extensive. It covers numerous programmes relating to demography, geography and tourism." "The state has some very specific suggestions and in particular, the pitch for a larger proportion of the state's share to be devolved based on forests. While the 15th Finance Commission has given a weight of 10 per cent to forest and ecology, Meghalaya's proposal is we raise it to 15 per cent," he said.

Panagariya said the state also suggested the introduction of a new criterion called the rural dispersion of the population.

"In this, they said 2.5 to 5 per cent weight be given. If we are able to do it then this will be a new criterion," he said.

He said it was very impressive how the state dramatically brought down the maternal mortality rate.

"There is a programme under which apparently the state has recorded every single pregnant woman, and they follow and they have that data on first, second, third trimester," he said.

The presentation also highlighted the programme on early childhood development under which kids are trained for different sports from an early age, he added.

Panagariya also noted that the state's debt to GDP ratio is high as well as its fiscal deficit.

On the ambitious Mission 10 initiative of the state government, he said, "The state has a very ambitious plan... and the commitments it has to the people of Meghalaya. The state is targeting to take the GDP to USD 10 billion by 2028, which would bring its per capita income close to about USD 3,000, which is quite good." The three autonomous district councils in the state also proposed grants worth over Rs 8,000 crore during separate presentations to the commission.
(With PTI inputs)