New Delhi, July 9: The World Bank has evinced interest in financing development schemes in Meghalaya. High-ranking officials from the bank are scheduled to visit the hill state in August for obtaining first-hand experience. "There is a possibility of the World Bank providing funds for development schemes. World Bank country director Michael Carter is likely to visit the state in August,? Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang told mediapersons here today.
He indicated that tourism, health, power, mining and organic food sectors could be the ones where investments may flow in.
Carter, who called on Lapang, outlined the various schemes and priority areas that would be selected for implementation in the country in the next four years.
He told Lapang that the bank proposed to establish a ?flexible framework? for the country within which projects and programmes would be taken up.
The bank has financed several schemes in the Northeast, including the Assam Rural Infrastructure and Allied Services Project (ARIASP), which is aimed at revamping rural infrastructure.
Lapang said the international bank would have enough scope to invest in Meghalaya. ?The economic potential of the state is yet to be tapped and many sectors are waiting to be developed to their optimum capacity.?
Since the seven states of the region depend to a large extent on assistance from the Centre, development projects funded by external agencies could play a crucial role in opening up vistas of employment if they are implemented effectively, he said. This is particularly so because of the parlous financial conditionof the states.