NEW DELHI, Jun 11: Governor BD Mishra on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several union ministers here, and discussed with them important issues related to Arunachal Pradesh.
During his meeting with Modi, Mishra apprised the PM of the challenges and aspirations of the people of Arunachal, and the mission of the new state government.
The governor highlighted the priority areas of the new state government, which include health and education, water and electricity supply, rail, road, air and internet connectivity, infrastructure development, and security.
Earlier, the governor met External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and took up with him the Lumla-Bhutan-Guwahati road issue.
Briefing the minister on the importance of the road, the governor said the road alignment is already there, except for a small portion of approximately 12 kms, which needs paving.
“During medical emergencies, when the Sela Pass is closed due to snowfall, the road will serve as a life-saving route for the people of Tawang, who otherwise get cut off from the rest of the world. Moreover, it shortens the distance by 131 kms between Lumla and Guwahati, which is an important factor for travel and movement,” Mishra said.
The governor also requested the union minister to accord special priority to border trade at Nampong, near Pangsau Pass, in Changlang district.
He said a memorandum of understanding was signed between Myanmar and India in 2012, “which needs to be taken forward with the change of time and international situation.”
During his meeting with HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Mishra briefed the minister on the educational scenario in Arunachal.
The governor requested the minister to accord priority to creating new avenues for higher and professional courses in Arunachal. He advocated including the education minister of the host state in the Itanagar NIT’s management board.
Later, the governor met DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh and discussed the growth and progress of the region. They held threadbare discussions on the ‘Act East’ policy and trade relationships with South East Asian countries through Myanmar.
The governor emphasized the need of separate cadres of central services for the state. (Raj Bhavan)
