Meghalaya fails to utilise Rs 162 crore tourism fund amid global destination push

Meghalaya's tourism department had earmarked Rs 162 crore for the current financial year to develop infrastructure, promote eco‑tourism and market the state internationally. However, officials report that the entire amount remains unspent.\nThe allocation formed a core part of a broader strategy to brand Meghalaya as a global travel hotspot, leveraging its waterfalls, caves and living root bridges.\nState officials attribute the shortfall to delayed project clearances, bottlenecks in land acquisition and the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 recovery on tourism flows.\nUnused funds have prompted concerns about fiscal prudence and could influence future central assistance for the sector.\nThe government has said it will reassess pending proposals and aim to deploy the money in the next budget cycle to revive tourism growth.