Shillong, June 19 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday urged the Centre to enhance the borrowing and access limits under Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) for northeastern states, saying such initiatives have become crucial in sustaining the region’s rapid development and unlocking large-scale infrastructure investments.

Addressing a seminar on “Leveraging Externally Aided Projects in the North Eastern States” in Shillong, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Sarma said the Northeast has witnessed unprecedented growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with EAPs emerging as a key instrument in addressing developmental challenges across sectors.

The seminar brought together Chief Ministers and senior officials from the northeastern states, along with representatives of multilateral development agencies and the Government of India.

Sarma said EAPs have significantly contributed to improving healthcare, education, livelihoods, infrastructure, environmental conservation and institutional capacity building through a focused and outcome-oriented approach.

Highlighting Assam’s experience, the Chief Minister said the state has effectively leveraged externally aided projects to drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits to citizens.

He noted that the value of EAP-supported initiatives in Assam has increased dramatically from around Rs 7,500 crore during the 14th Finance Commission period to nearly Rs 53,000 crore under the 15th Finance Commission.

“Several projects have already been completed successfully, while many others are currently under implementation and are contributing significantly to Assam’s development journey,” Sarma said.

He informed that projects worth nearly Rs 53,000 crore are presently being implemented in Assam under the EAP framework, covering critical sectors such as bridges, embankments, healthcare infrastructure, power transmission and distribution, advanced technology and robotics.

Making a strong case for expanding access to such funding mechanisms, Sarma said multilateral agency-backed projects have enabled Assam to undertake transformative initiatives that were previously considered financially unviable because of their high capital requirements.

The Chief Minister also underscored the non-financial benefits of EAPs, stating that they have introduced robust project management systems, global expertise and international best practices into governance, thereby enhancing efficiency, transparency and service delivery.

Expressing gratitude to Sitharaman, Sarma said the deliberations would strengthen regional cooperation and help transform the Northeast into a major driver of India’s economic growth.

–IANS

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