Overview
- Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday to allow northeastern states higher funding limits through Externally Aided Projects, citing an implementation record and about Rs 53,000 crore of EAP projects now underway in Assam.
- Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told a Shillong conference that EAP support for the Northeast rose roughly seven-fold under the Modi government to about Rs 76,000 crore between 2014 and 2026 and promoted market access and livelihoods beyond just financing.
- No formal change to EAP ceilings was announced after the June 19 discussions, with officials describing the event as a policy dialogue that could lead to further consideration rather than an immediate approval.
- Speakers pointed to completed and ongoing EAP-backed works such as the Lower Kopili hydropower project, the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu and the Dhubri–Phulbari Bridge, and noted more than 10,000 km of roads built since 2014 with another 5,000 km under construction.
- Externally Aided Projects bring multilateral financing plus procurement rules, environmental safeguards and project-management know-how, which officials say can lower costs, speed delivery and help northeastern producers reach wider domestic and global markets.