SHILLONG: Meghalaya has engaged 36 individual consultants and 59 consultancy firms to support various development projects, with payments strictly linked to performance and deliverables, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
He said the total annual expenditure on remuneration for individual consultants during 2024–25 stands at ₹4.35 crore, while consultancy firms are paid only for completed assignments under contractual terms. “If deliverables are not met, payments are not made,” he stated.
Responding to queries from legislators, the Chief Minister noted that 19 of the 36 individual consultants—over half—are local professionals with expertise in areas such as management, agriculture and environmental sciences. Consultants, he added, are hired on a project-specific basis for specialised tasks including preparation of detailed project reports, environmental and social safeguards, and procurement processes required under externally aided projects funded by agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
Clarifying their role, Sangma said consultants function only as technical support to government departments and do not replace or interfere with the authority of officials.
The Chief Minister also informed the House that Meghalaya has mobilised nearly ₹12,000 crore under externally aided projects, placing it among the leading states in securing such funding. Payments to consultancy firms are largely covered under permissible administrative components of these projects, and their engagement automatically ends once the assigned projects are completed.
