Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged the Central government to provide northeastern states with greater access to funding through Externally Aided Projects (EAPs), saying the region has consistently demonstrated its ability to successfully implement large-scale development initiatives. Speaking after attending a seminar on “Leveraging EAPs in North-Eastern States” in Shillong on Friday, Sarma said he appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to increase the funding limits available to northeastern states under externally aided programmes. He stressed that such projects have become an important source of support for infrastructure creation and economic development across the region. According to the Chief Minister, Externally Aided Projects have played a key role in helping Assam undertake major projects that would otherwise require substantial financial resources. He said projects worth nearly Rs 53,000 crore are currently being implemented in the state through EAP funding.
These projects span several sectors, including transport infrastructure, power generation, healthcare, robotics, bridges and embankments. Sarma noted that externally funded projects not only provide financial assistance but also introduce global best practices, advanced technologies and improved project management systems that strengthen governance and project execution. “On behalf of Assam and our sister states in the Northeast, I made a passionate appeal to the Finance Minister to allow our governments access to enhanced limits through Externally Aided Projects,” Sarma said in a post on social media platform X. He said the seminar served as an important platform for policymakers and stakeholders to discuss ways to improve coordination, planning and implementation of externally funded projects across the northeastern region. Highlighting Assam’s experience in managing such projects, Sarma pointed to the successful completion of the EAP-funded Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Project within three-and-a-half years. He said the project demonstrated the state’s capacity to efficiently execute major infrastructure initiatives within a defined timeframe.
The Chief Minister also referred to major infrastructure developments such as the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu and the under-construction Dhubri–Phulbari Bridge while showcasing Assam’s track record in effectively utilising externally aided funding. Externally Aided Projects are financed through loans and assistance from international and multilateral financial institutions and are implemented in partnership with state and central governments. These projects have increasingly become an important tool for supporting infrastructure growth, improving public services and promoting long-term economic development in the Northeast. With several large-scale projects already underway and more being planned, Assam has called for enhanced access to EAP funding, arguing that greater financial support will help accelerate development and strengthen connectivity and public infrastructure across the region.
