By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 28: A $300 million fund under the proposed Meghalaya Logistics and Connectivity Improvement Project is expected to boost the state’s roads and transport system, ensuring faster access to markets and reduced losses for farmers.
The World Bank is expected to provide $240 million for the project envisaged to upgrade about 250 km of important road corridors that connect farms, small businesses, and towns across the hilly state.
Meghalaya has been struggling with poor transport links, which make it difficult to move goods and produce. Farmers often lose income due to damaged crops that cannot reach markets in time. Businesses face high transport costs, limiting growth.
“Despite having rich natural resources, Meghalaya’s economy is held back by poor logistics and transport services,” the World Bank said. The problems are made worse by limited funding, tough terrain, and heavy rains.
The new project aims to fix these issues by improving key road corridors to support trade and travel, building better storage and transport services at the rural and district level, helping farmers get their produce to markets faster and cheaper, strengthening local agencies to manage roads and transport systems better, and making transport infrastructure more climate-resilient.
The Meghalaya Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation will lead the work, with support from India’s Department of Economic Affairs. If all goes to plan, the World Bank is set to approve the project by February 2026, clearing the way for construction to start.
The project will also focus on using recycled materials, managing landslides better, and making the transport system more energy-efficient.