Staff REPORTER
Itanagar, Feb 5: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday said the Northeast has witnessed a “total transformation” over the last decade, attributing the change to sustained support from the Narendra Modi-led Central Government.
Participating in the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the Assembly, Khandu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, over the last 11 years, attempted to compensate for decades of neglect faced by the Northeast after Independence.
“I thank the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeast during the last 11 years,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Governor’s address, delivered on Wednesday, broadly reflected the government’s achievements over the past year, with a strong focus on infrastructure and connectivity, followed by human capital development, education and knowledge economy, livelihoods, rural and artisan economy, green energy, tourism and good governance.
Highlighting the state’s economic progress, Khandu said Arunachal’s Gross Domestic Product has grown by about 2.6 times, while per capita income has doubled over the last decade. Improved fiscal management, he added, has resulted in a five-fold increase in State Owned Resources (SOR).
He informed that the state has recorded a 3.5-fold increase in road network, with over Rs 3,000 crore being invested under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive State Road Development Plan-II (2024–2029).
Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, he said, thousands of crores are being invested in border infrastructure, boosting the rural economy and promoting border tourism along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
On healthcare, Khandu said around 1.6 lakh households have been enrolled under the Chief Minister Arogya Arunachal Yojana (CMAAY), with Rs 150 crore spent last year on the treatment of nearly 70,000 patients.
Referring to youth-centric initiatives, he cited schemes such as Chief Minister’s Paryatan Vikas Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swavalamban Yojana, and the Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Programme, noting that the state now has 237 start-ups. “Our youths want to become job creators instead of job seekers,” he said.
On hydropower, Khandu praised local communities, particularly the Nyishi community people from Kamle, Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts for supporting the Kamala Hydroelectric Project. He said projects totalling 19,000 MW are at various stages of development, with a long-term target of 40,000 MW by 2047, adding that the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is now gaining wider public support.
He also stressed the need to amend the state’s hydropower policy to provide greater benefits to project-affected people.
Khandu said around 15 lakh beneficiaries have been covered under Sarkar Aapke Dwar and Seva Aapke Dwar programmes, and the Cabinet Aapke Dwar has helped the government identify grassroots needs and design region-specific schemes.
Earlier, BJP member Dr Mohesh Chai moved the motion of thanks, seconded by MLA Hage Appa. After a marathon discussion, the Assembly adopted the motion by voice vote before Speaker Tesam Pongte adjourned the House sine die.