1. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu unveils blueprint for planning process overhaul.
2. A comprehensive plan aims at accelerating growth in the northeastern state.
3. Implementation set post upcoming simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Itanagar, Jan 24: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has unveiled a comprehensive blueprint to revamp the current planning process, aiming to propel the accelerated growth of the northeastern state.
During a public meeting in Tuting as part of his two-day tour of the Upper Siang district, Khandu affirmed the implementation of the new planning process post the upcoming elections, where Arunachal Pradesh is set for simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
The envisaged planning model will involve stakeholders at the grassroots level, emphasizing the vital role of local communities and officers on the ground in shaping the state plan.
Khandu emphasized a bottom-to-top approach, diverging from the traditional top-to-bottom planning process.
The chief minister assured that the innovative planning approach would foster holistic development across all villages in the state.
He pledged optimal utilization of government resources without wastage, ensuring efficient and targeted development initiatives.
Khandu highlighted the transformative impact of the ‘Vibrant Village’ program, a flagship initiative by the central government, on the Tuting area.
Commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reshaping the concept of border villages, Khandu highlighted the substantial improvements in connectivity, including roads, air travel, rail networks, and digital infrastructure over the past 7-8 years.
The Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2023, is geared toward comprehensive development in selected villages in 46 blocks across 19 districts along the northern border of Arunachal Pradesh.
The program focuses on various interventions to create opportunities for livelihood generation, including tourism and cultural heritage promotion, skill development, entrepreneurship, and cooperative society development.
Key areas of intervention encompass road connectivity to remote villages, housing, village infrastructure, energy (including renewable energy), television, and telecom connectivity.
Khandu expressed gratitude for the Union Home Ministry’s recent sanction of approximately 1,022 km of roads under the program for Arunachal Pradesh.
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He acknowledged Health Minister Alo Libang for contributing to the overall development of the district and anticipated increased tourism activities once the new Yingkiong-Tuting road is completed.
Addressing the communities of Memba, Khamba, Adi, Mishmi, and Tangam in the district, Khandu urged peaceful coexistence and emphasized their role as equal stakeholders in the development of border areas.
He celebrated the unique diversity and cultural richness of Upper Siang’s Tuting administrative division, underscoring the importance of maintaining longstanding peaceful relationships among the communities.
