Arunachal emerging as driver of inclusive self-reliant growth Guv

Itanagar, Jan 26 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik on Monday highlighted the state’s rapid strides in economic growth, infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare and education, asserting that the state has emerged as a key driver of inclusive and self-reliant development, particularly in border and remote regions.
    Unfurling the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day at I G Park here, the governor said Arunachal Pradesh, with its strategic location, rich cultural heritage and abundant natural resources, plays a vital role in India’s national journey towards growth, security and self-reliance.

    He said the state has moved forward with steady purpose and growing confidence, guided by outcome-driven governance and stronger institutions.
    “The state has recorded remarkable economic progress over the past decade, with the Gross State Domestic Product increasing 2.6 times and the state’s own revenue registering a 17 per cent growth during FY 2024-25,” the governor said.
    He added that governance reforms have shifted the focus from scheme-centric delivery to predictable, system-based and results-oriented administration, anchored in economic growth, human development and ecological responsibility.

    Stressing that people are the state’s greatest strength, Parnaik said human capital remains the foundation of all policy and planning.

    He highlighted major expansion in healthcare services, noting that more than 2.2 lakh families are now covered under cashless treatment through the Chief Minister’s Arogya Arunachal Yojana and PM Jan Arogya Yojana.

    “Medical education and tertiary care are being strengthened with doubled MBBS seats at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS). New postgraduate and super-specialty programmes have been started, and new medical colleges are coming up in Pasighat, Namsai and West Kameng,” he said.

    Parnaik added that mental health care has received focused attention through initiatives such as the Mukhiya Mantri Manasikh Swastha Yojana and Tele-MANAS.

    “The Chief Minister’s Organ Transplant Scheme enabled 51 life-saving transplants last year, while construction of the State Cancer Institute here is underway. Patient support facilities outside the state have also been enhanced through the Arunachal Cancer Home in Mumbai and a new patients’ guest house in Vellore,” he said.

    On the education sector, Parnaik said Mission Shikshit Arunachal 2029 has been launched in line with the National Education Policy 2020, focusing on foundational literacy and numeracy, secondary-level performance and 21st-century skills.

    The governor underlined the strategic importance of infrastructure in a border and hilly state like Arunachal Pradesh.

    He said the state is also central to India’s clean energy future, with 1.2 GW of hydropower already operational and 4.8 GW under construction.

    A major milestone has been achieved with the commencement of commercial operations of one 250 MW unit of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project, with remaining units expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, he said.

    The governor announced that 2025-2035 has been declared the “Decade of Hydropower”, with an Energy Vision 2047 being formulated to ensure sustainable and community-focused growth.

    Parnaik said that road connectivity has expanded sharply, with the road network trebling over the past decade and annual construction rising from 300 km to over 1,800 km.

    “More than 4,000 km of national highways are under construction. Flagship projects such as the Rs 55,000 crore Frontier Highway and the Vibrant Villages Programme are enhancing last-mile connectivity, border security and national integration, including in villages along the Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bhutan borders,” he added.

    The governor pointed out that infrastructure-led reforms have significantly improved living standards in the state, citing the completion of over 35,000 rural houses under PMAY-Gramin to achieve 100 per cent saturation, and the provision of Functional Household Tap Connections to more than 3.2 lakh rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

    In agriculture, he observed that steady growth in food grain production, income support to over 1.14 lakh farmers under PM-KISAN, expansion of soil testing facilities, and increased oil palm cultivation to boost diversification and farm incomes.


    Placing Arunachal’s progress in the national context, the governor said this year’s Republic Day is especially inspiring as it marks the 150th anniversary of the national song 'Vande Mataram'.

    He paid tribute to the Constitution of India, calling it the living foundation and moral compass of the Republic, and urged citizens to become active partners in reform, environmental protection and social harmony to build an eco-conscious, inclusive and resilient Arunachal Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)