Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Guwahati on Thursday to begin a four-day official tour of Meghalaya, where she is scheduled to take stock of key development programmes and strengthen government engagement with industry leaders, self-help groups, and local communities.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received her at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and welcomed her on behalf of the state. Sitharaman later departed for Meghalaya under heightened security arrangements.
The visit, spanning July 10 to 13, is part of the Centre’s efforts to bolster economic activity and infrastructure development in the Northeast. Sitharaman is set to inaugurate several projects, including the Polo Shopping Complex and the Northeast Conclave, and lay the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) campus at IIM Shillong.
She will also visit the Shillong Tech Park in Umsawli and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing products developed by local farmers and entrepreneurs at the Lariti International Centre.
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On July 12, Sitharaman will engage with industry leaders at the Courtyard Marriott in Shillong, followed by a field visit to Laitkynsew village to interact with women Self-Help Groups, ‘Lakhpati Didis’, and members of farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
Later the same day, she is scheduled to meet beneficiaries of the Payment for Ecosystem Services Programme in Siej village and address a public programme at Sohbar village near the Indo-Bangladesh border, which has been selected under the Centre’s Vibrant Villages initiative.
On the final day of her tour, she will visit Ramakrishna Mission School in Sohra before returning to New Delhi.
The Finance Ministry, in a statement, said the visit aims to promote entrepreneurship, review the implementation of central schemes, and deepen grassroots engagement in Meghalaya.
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