Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: The Meghalaya government has suspended all officially funded foreign travel for ministers, lawmakers, and state officials for the next six months. This decision is part of a broader push to tighten public spending and maintain fiscal health as global economic conditions remain volatile.
Officials stated that the measure is necessary to ensure financial resources remain directed toward critical development sectors. This pause affects eight planned study tours and exposure programs involving roughly 63 to 68 representatives. These trips were intended to cover various fields, including healthcare, climate-resilient water management, and livestock development in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States.
Despite the freeze, the state government clarified that it remains committed to international collaboration. "The government clarified that the move should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from international engagement or knowledge-sharing initiatives," the administration noted in its announcement. Future partnerships will instead continue through virtual meetings and technical collaboration.
The six-month restriction does not apply to travel fully covered by the Government of India or projects sponsored by multilateral development banks, provided these visits receive clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.
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