Arunachal CM seeks Rs 2,000 cr special package from Centre

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday requested the Centre to give a one-time special package to bail out liabilities of Rs 2,000 crore inherited from the previous Congress government.
Chief Minister Kalikho Pul urged Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju today during a function organised to celebrate the National Panchayati Raj Day, to pursue the Centre for the special package to overcome the liabilities. “Being a nascent state in terms of development, Arunachal Pradesh depends cent per cent on central funding,” he said, pleading for early release of all remaining funds against various projects.
Pul said the Centre had already assured an additional Rs 380 crore for four-laning of Banderdewa-Hollongi NH-415, besides providing solar lights to 80,000 households in the state this year. “Work on NH-415 will commence from September after evicting all illegal structures,” he said.
Terming Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) as a bridge to development, Pul said since scheme formulation and implementation starts in the villages, PRIs play an important role. “The state government has revived the ,PRIs provided more power and functions to them,” he said.
The Chief Minister said women empowerment was getting priority in the state with the government making sufficient budgetary provisions this year. “Many steps have been taken up for women, including establishment of women police stations and introduction of 24-hour bus services in the state capital run by women drivers and conductors,” he said.
Lamenting poor implementation of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in the state capital, Pul asked the municipal authorities to coordinate with PRIs and students to conduct cleanliness drive at least thrice a month.
Referring to the tragedy at Tawang where 18 persons were killed in landslides, Pul directed the Chief Secretary to inspect all under-construction buildings in the state capital. “The PRIs and municipal committees should play active role in making people aware on building by-laws in the capital to prevent major disaster in the future as the state lies in Seismic Zone V,” he said, adding “If we are alert and aware, disasters can be avoided.” Pul administered oath to the PRIs on the occasion. Deputy Chief Minister Kameng Dolo, who holds the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj portfolios, urged PRIs to raise revenue locally to strengthen the state’s exchequer.
Stating that strengthening of PRIs was the commitment of the state government, Dolo said the state had adopted a three-tier monitoring system for all central schemes right from the state level to maintain transparency in works. (PTI)