Itanagar, Jan 11 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday advocated for ‘bottom-to-top’ planning for developmental projects.
He was addressing ‘Sankalp Samaroh’ at Sangram in Kurung Kumey district.
“The state government’s next big reform will be to implement bottom-to-top planning for developmental projects,” he said.
He said the ‘old way’ of planning will have to be replaced by a new process that would incorporate schemes and projects prioritised and recommended by people at the ground.
While informing the people that ‘guardian ministers’ and ‘mentor secretaries’ have been appointed for each district of the state, he said a two-day workshop will be organised at Itanagar on January 16 and 17 for all the guardian ministers, mentor secretaries and deputy commissioners in this regard.
The workshop, he said, will have brainstorming sessions on challenges, potentials and needs of each district, which will be soon be followed by separate meetings of the guardian ministers and mentor secretaries with all stakeholders at the district levels.
Each district will then prioritise its needs and scopes and submit recommendations to the government, which will be duly incorporated in the annual plan, he said.
Khandu observed that this planning process of ‘bottom-to-top’ will ensure government funds are not wasted and each district gets what it wants on priority.
He said the state’s Education Minister PD Sona has almost completed his visit to each district, holding meetings with stakeholders to find out challenges and requirements to drastically improve the education scenario district-wise.
He said that after completion of these meetings, the education department will compile its findings and recommendations to the state government.
“We will study these recommendations, discuss them in the cabinet and then introduce reforms, which I can foretell will be huge. I promise that the reforms will be implemented 100 per cent on the ground within three financial years,” he announced.
Speaking on the most challenging sector in Kurung Kumey – communication – Khandu said that a lot has changed in the last 14 years since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.
“Once it took an entire day and at times even two days to travel from Itanagar to Nyapin or Sangram. After construction of the Trans Arunachal Highway it takes just a few hours,” he pointed.
He said that connectivity in the region, especially in Nyapin-Sangram and Koloriang assembly constituencies, will get a huge fillip after the Frontier Highway is executed.
The Frontier Highway would connect Nafra in West Kameng with Vijaynagar in Changlang.
Khandu said the tender for the project has been floated, barring for some stretches in East Kameng, Kurung Kumey and Vijaynagar, due to land acquisition issues.
He assured people that land acquisition issues will be sorted out soon.
“Along with the Frontier Highway, inter-corridor roads will be constructed to connect sectors not connected to Trans Arunachal Highway or the Frontier Highway,” he said.
Khandu said that approval has been accorded for the Itakhola-Seijosa-Pakke Kessang-Seppa-Chayangtajo stretch. From Chayangtajo, it will pass through Nyapin-Sangram-Parsi Parlo in Kurung Kumey.
“This 391-km stretch is in the final stages of approval and I am personally following up with the Centre,” Khandu said.
He said that the state government will pursue with the central government for declaring Kurung Kumey and Kra-Dadi districts as tourist circuits.
“Once these roads are completed, Kurung Kumey in particular can reap huge benefits of the flourishing tourism industry,” he said.
As Kurung Kumey and Kra-Dadi have been included in the Prime Minister’s TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan in 347 districts across 33 states and union territories, Khandu appealed to all to attend the health camps that would be soon organised under the campaign across the two districts.
He also reiterated his concerns on ‘money culture’ in elections and appealed to people to refrain from it for the sake of development of their areas.
Meanwhile, Khandu declared sanctions for five schemes, all in Nyapin-Sangram assembly segment, worth Rs 20.45 crore and also assured people of positively considering a nine-point memorandum submitted by local legislator Tai Nikio. PTI CORR ACD
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