Overview
- Chief ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad K. Sangma met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Wednesday to press for a renewed push on Externally Aided Projects.
- Meghalaya asked specifically for an additional Rs 10,000 crore under its EAP ceiling and both CMs said Sitharaman responded positively while no formal change to state ceilings has been announced.
- Externally Aided Projects are loans or credits from multilateral and bilateral lenders routed through state governments and require central approval of state-specific ceilings before fresh projects can be taken up.
- States face a reimbursement model that forces them to front cash and strains liquidity in revenue-deficit and hill states, while the Centre often meets a large share of loan servicing for Northeast EAPs.
- Practical hurdles such as steep terrain, heavy monsoon, customary tribal land rights and slow statutory clearances lengthen project timelines, so any central push will need faster approvals and tailored implementation steps to deliver results.