Itanagar, Sep 30: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday reaffirmed the Central Government’s commitment to the development of Arunachal Pradesh and the entire Northeast region, pledging continued financial and administrative support for future projects.
Sitharaman gave this assurance while chairing a review meeting with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and senior State Government officials at the Civil Secretariat here. Advisor to Minister Planning, Tsering Lhamu was also present in the meeting.
During the meeting, the Union Finance Minister inaugurated five key infrastructure projects under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in Arunachal Pradesh.
The projects include Pasighat-Ledum-Tene road, flood protection work at Upper Deobil, General Hospital at Khonsa, cluster MIPs at Gensi, and District Hospital at Changlang, a communiqué from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
During his address, CM Khandu expressed deep gratitude for the unwavering support extended by the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman.
Khandu acknowledged the unique challenges faced by the state in terms of infrastructure development but lauded the remarkable progress made under the Central Government’s support. He noted that state revenue has grown.
Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh's vast hydropower potential, the Chief Minister said, “Arunachal will significantly contribute to the national economy through hydropower.” He appreciated the Central Government’s support in ensuring state equity in hydropower projects.
Khandu emphasized the need for upgrading outdated infrastructure across Arunachal Pradesh. He pointed out that many existing structures were of SPT type and called for rapid development and conversion to Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to improve the state’s low credit-deposit (CD) ratio and requested continued support from the Union Finance Minister in expanding banking services.
He appreciated the establishment of SBI Regional Business Office (RBO) in the state and urged for similar facilities in western Arunachal. He also highlighted the difficulties in availing infrastructure loans due to external interventions.