FM Lauds Meghalaya's Use Of Rs 5,400 Cr SASCI Funds Launches Major Development Projects

(MENAFN- KNN India) Shillong, July 12 (KNN) During her visit to the state on Friday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted Meghalaya's full utilisation of its Rs 5,400 crore allocation under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme, calling it a model for other states.

“While some states are unable to utilise their shares, Meghalaya has effectively used its entire allocation to build capital assets. I commend the state's efforts,” she said at a public programme.

Reaffirming the Centre's commitment to the Northeast, Sitharaman said the government views the region as one to“empower, act, strengthen and transform.”

She noted key achievements in the state, including the construction of over 540 km of roads and a five-fold increase in optical fibre coverage since 2014.

She also acknowledged the state's strong performance in central schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission, PM Awas Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and the Swachh Bharat Mission.

During her visit to Meghalaya, Sitharaman launched several major initiatives spanning education, tourism, infrastructure, and women's welfare.

These included a Rs 162 crore project to establish 750 digital libraries across rural areas, aimed at improving access to the National Digital Library and promoting a reading culture among youth.

She also unveiled a Rs 120.81 crore eco-tourism initiative to redevelop Umiam Lake into a world-class destination, expected to attract 1.27 lakh tourists annually and generate nearly 4,000 jobs.

To boost conference tourism, Sitharaman announced a Rs 103 crore project to develop a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) hub at Mawkhanu.

The development will include a Meghalayan Experience Theme Park and festival zones spread over 106 acres.

Supporting women's empowerment, a Rs 132 crore initiative was launched to build working women's hostels with a capacity of 1,200 beds across Shillong, Jowai, Byrnihat, and Tura.

Sitharaman also inaugurated a Rs 256.23 crore office-cum-residential complex for the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in New Shillong, aimed at strengthening administrative infrastructure.

In addition, she launched the Rs 100.95 crore Northeast Regional Campus of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) at Mawkhanu under the PM-DevINE scheme. This marks IICA's first campus outside Delhi, with a focus on corporate governance and economic research.

Sitharaman also announced that 92 villages in Meghalaya, located along the India-Bangladesh border, have been selected under Phase II of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP).

The VVP, she explained, aims to develop remote border settlements with improved infrastructure, connectivity, livelihoods, healthcare, and education.

The initiative is part of a broader government effort to foster growth in villages bordering Bangladesh, Myanmar, Tibet, China, and Nepal.

(KNN Bureau)

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