Itanagar, Feb 4: The Fifth Session of the Eighth Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly commenced on Wednesday with the customary address by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) KT Parnaik, who laid out a comprehensive account of the State’s developmental journey, governance reforms and future roadmap.
Addressing the Members of the House, the Governor underlined the constitutional role of the Legislative Assembly as a forum for deliberation, accountability and people-centric lawmaking. He noted that the Assembly had recently completed 50 years of its functioning, describing the Golden Jubilee as a testament to the evolution of democratic governance in Arunachal Pradesh since its days as a Union Territory to full statehood.
Expressing gratitude to the Government of India, the Governor particularly acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and support, citing the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Itanagar during which development projects worth over Rs 5,100 crore were inaugurated. He said Arunachal Pradesh’s share in central taxes has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore since 2014, reflecting strong Centre–State cooperation.
Highlighting the State’s macroeconomic progress, the Governor said Arunachal Pradesh’s Gross Domestic Product has expanded by about 2.6 times in the last decade, while per capita income has more than doubled. He added that sustained efforts to strengthen fiscal management have resulted in a five-fold increase in State Own Resources.
On infrastructure and connectivity, the Governor referred to improvements at Donyi Polo Airport, expansion of National Highways and rural road networks, completion of Batch-I of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive State Road Development Plan and the launch of Batch-II with an outlay of Rs 3,040 crore. He also mentioned the Vibrant Villages Programme under which roads and critical infrastructure are being developed in border villages.
Declaring 2025–26 as the “Year of Human Capital”, the Governor said the State Government has adopted a people-first development strategy with major investments in education, health and skill development. He highlighted reforms under Mission Shikshit Arunachal 2029, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, and noted improved learning outcomes with Arunachal ranking 17th nationally in the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024.
He also spoke about expansion of higher education through new colleges, science centres and planetariums, along with initiatives to prepare youth for emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. Youth employment and entrepreneurship, he said, are being promoted through schemes such as the SEE Trinity initiative and the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swavalamban Yojana.
Referring to livelihoods and rural economy, the Governor highlighted progress in agriculture, horticulture and organic farming, including the State’s emergence as India’s leading kiwi producer and the export of Dambuk oranges to international markets. He emphasised the role of women-led self-help groups and Lakhpati Didis in strengthening the rural economy.
On green energy, the Governor said Arunachal Pradesh is steadily positioning itself as a hydropower hub, with 1.2 GW of operational capacity and several large projects under construction, including the Subansiri Lower and Dibang Multipurpose Projects. These, he said, would contribute significantly to revenue generation, employment and national energy security.
Referring to tourism, the Governor said the State has witnessed over 100 per cent growth in tourist footfall in the past decade, driven by policy support. He cited event-led tourism initiatives and the Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Policy 2025–30 as drivers of sustainable tourism and livelihood creation.
Highlighting governance reforms, the Governor said initiatives such as Sarkar Aapke Dwar, Seva Aapke Dwar 2.0 and Cabinet Aapke Dwar have taken government services closer to citizens. He also noted advancements in digital governance, public safety infrastructure, judicial capacity and internal security.
Concluding his address, the Governor outlined the Government’s Panch Pratigya—five key commitments focusing on human capital, livelihoods, harmony with nature, green energy and sustainable tourism. Calling for collective effort, he urged Members of the House to work in unity to realise the vision of a “Viksit Arunachal” in alignment with the national goal of “Viksit Bharat”.
Three Bills introduced
Three key Bills were introduced on the first day of the two-day Assembly session on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu, also the Minister in-charge of Administrative Reforms, introduced The Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (Amendment) Bill 2026, while Panchayati Raj Minister Ojing Tasing introduced The Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill 2026, and The Arunachal Pradesh Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2026, introduced by Law Minister Kento Jini.