ITANAGAR, 19 Nov: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the central government is going to spend Rs 50,000 crore in the near future for infrastructural development of Arunachal Pradesh.
The prime minister, who inaugurated the Donyi Polo Airport in Hollongi near here and dedicated the 600 mw Kameng hydropower station to the nation, underlined the natural beauty of Arunachal and said that the state has great potential in tourism.
He stressed the need for proper connectivity to remote areas of the state, and said that 85 percent of the villages in Arunachal are linked with the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
Giving the example of highway construction in remote and inaccessible areas, he said that another Rs 50,000 crore will be spent on the development of infrastructure in the large Northeastern state.
The development of the new airport will create huge opportunities in the field of cargo services. As a result, farmers of the state can now sell their produce to bigger markets, he said.
Addressing a gathering at the airport, he also informed that the farmers are reaping the benefits of the PM Kisan Nidhi scheme in the state.
“We are working on a mission mode to carry the development forward to every house and village in the state,” the PM said.
He also highlighted the government’s efforts to develop all border villages under the Vibrant Border Village Programme, which will give a boost to tourism and reduce migration in the region.
Modi said that a special programme is being carried out in the state to connect the youths of India with the NCC, “which will instil a feeling to serve the nation, apart from providing defence training to them.”
Recalling a colonial law that barred the people of Arunachal from harvesting bamboo, he said that the government is making a move to abolish the legislation.
He pointed out that “bamboo is part of the lifestyle of the state and its cultivation is helping the people of the region to export bamboo products all over India and the world.”
“Now you can cultivate, harvest and sell bamboo just like any other crop,” he added.
The priority of the government is that the poor lead a graceful life, the prime minister said. (PTI)
