From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, June 11: Meghalaya is now one of the fastest growing states in the country with its GSDP doubling from Rs 29,508 crore in 2018 to Rs 59,626 crore in 2024-25, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Thursday.
Speaking at the 11th General Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, he urged the Centre to revise the Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) ceiling for all northeastern states so they could fully leverage the same for critical infrastructure and human development.
He said that an enhanced ceiling would allow Meghalaya to conceptualise and submit projects exceeding USD 1 billion. “A generous revision of the EAP ceiling for the northeastern and hilly states during the 16th Finance Commission period would enable us to sustain our growth momentum,” Sangma said.
He also said that a revision of the EAP ceiling would enable smaller, resource-constrained states like Meghalaya to fully leverage EAPs for critical infrastructure and human development. “Our 50% CAGR in EAP expenditure between FY2022 and FY2025 demonstrates that smaller states can deliver scale and impact when empowered,” he said.
An EAP ceiling is the maximum monetary limit or structural cap imposed on state or regional governments by a central authority regarding the amount of foreign financial assistance they can secure. This assistance typically arrives through multilateral or bilateral institutions such as World Bank, Asian Development Bank, or Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The Ministry of Finance establishes regional or state-specific limits to ensure equitable distribution of international resources and preserve macroscopic debt sustainability. When a regional body reaches its specific EAP allocation ceiling, the Centre may halt approvals for fresh project proposals until current liabilities shrink or standard exemptions are authorised.
Justifying his demand, Sangma said that Meghalaya is among the fastest-growing states whose GSDP has more than doubled from Rs 29,508 crore in 2018 to Rs 59,626 crore in 2024-25 and capital expenditure has grown nearly six times – from Rs 1,435 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 8,469 crore in 2025-26.
“This reflects our commitment to the Centre’s infrastructure-first development model and the numbers speak for themselves. Meghalaya’s goal is to be among India’s top ten states in per capita income and Sustainable Development Goals by 2032, and this vision is pursued through the ‘Meghalaya Excellence Framework’ – a disciplined, outcome-focused governance model embedded in our State Vision 2032,” Sangma said.
He added that the vision was being implemented through “Mission 10” framework: ten priority sectors driving growth and employment, alongside ten commitments to inclusivity, ensuring that development reaches every corner of the state.
“Over eight years, we have added 2,400 kilometres of new roads, reduced AT&C losses from 37 per cent to 10.8 per cent and raised rural tap water coverage from one per cent in 2019 to 84 per cent today. The Rs 7,000 crore New Shillong City project is underway as a future-ready urban centre, built through fiscal prudence and sustained public investment,” the Chief Minister said.
Speaking about a regional balanced growth, he said India’s growth story was only as strong as the sum of its states. “We believe in ‘Team Bharat,’ and we believe that when every state, including every state in the Northeast, rises, India rises,” he said.
According to him, Meghalaya’s journey from the periphery to a state of national significance is proof that with vision, discipline, and partnership, no geography is beyond the reach of development.
Earlier, Sangma was welcomed at the NDA leaders’ meeting held at Bharat Mandapam. They gathered here to mark and celebrate 12 years of the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Chief Minister had a word of praise for the central government for its steadfast support through centrally-sponsored schemes.
“I extend sincere gratitude to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the transformative merit-based Special Assistance to states for Capital Investment scheme – a national initiative that has unlocked unprecedented investment capacity even in smaller states like ours; and to all ministries for their generous support through EAPs,” he said.
The gathering served as a strategic platform for the NDA Chief Ministers and central leadership to review ongoing regional projects, reinforce alliances, and discuss the roadmap for state-Centre collaborations.
Sangma was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
