State cabinet to confer Arunachal Ratna on former Lt Gov Raja

ITANAGAR, 20 Jan: The state cabinet on Thursday decided to confer the highest state award, Arunachal Ratna, on late KAA Raja, the first lieutenant governor of Arunachal Pradesh, for his immense and unforgettable contributions to the socioeconomic and political development of the frontier state.

Commemorating the launch of the golden jubilee celebration of Arunachal Pradesh as an independent identity, the cabinet meeting, which was held in Lower Subansiri HQ Ziro, decided to provide financial assistance to 500 top performing women SHGs through fixed deposit of Rs 1 lakh each to strengthen the social capital base and take up economic activities.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, also decided to provide financial assistance to 300 primary level federations through capital subsidy deposit of Rs 2 lakhs each for procurement of goods transport vehicle for use by their respective constituent SHGs, a communiqué from the CMO said.

The state cabinet also agreed to formulate a ‘district level good governance index’ by engaging an experienced knowledge partner for strengthening all-round development and improve ease of living of the citizens.

It also decided to select 50 existing government schools, “based on professionally determined criteria,” to develop them as ‘golden jubilee model schools’, subject to maximum ceiling of Rs 12-crore expenditure per school, at an estimated cost and allocation of Rs 500 crores approximately.

Among other important decisions, the cabinet resolved to complete and inaugurate 365 physical infrastructure projects within the golden jubilee year period from 20 January, 2022 to 20 January, 2023.

It also decided to “provide recognition through a sum of Rs 2 lakhs as Golden Jubilee Merit Award to any Arunachalee student completing Class 12 board examination from schools of the state on qualifying the national level entrance examination and securing admission in IITs, IIMs, NLUs and AIIMS.”

The cabinet agreed to establish Arunachal Pradesh Infrastructure Financing Authority to meet the developmental needs of the state.

It also decided to provide an additional fixed deposit of Rs 5,000 as top-up amount over the existing Rs 20,000 under the Dulari Kanya Scheme to ‘golden jubilee daughters’ who are born between 20 January, 2022 and 20 January, 2023 and are fully immunized, the communiqué added. (PTI)