Guwahati, Nov. 11 -- Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has called for urban development policies and funding norms tailored to the Northeast's difficult terrain, scattered settlements and high infrastructure costs, stressing that conventional population-based parameters fail to capture the region's civic needs.

Addressing a regional workshop on the implementation of 16th Finance Commission grants for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) at the Golden Jubilee Banquet Hall in Itanagar on Wednesday, Mein said municipalities in the region faced distinct challenges, including limited revenue, high transportation costs and frequent natural disasters such as landslides, flash floods, earthquakes and soil erosion.

The one-day workshop br...