Migration of people from interior areas, more particularly from villages close to the international border, to urban areas needs to be arrested by improving health and education facilities in those areas, Arunachal Pradesh governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma said in Itanagar on Monday. Unfurling the national flag Sharma identified inadequate health and educational facilities in interior places as major reason behind this migration, and said it was actually a social sector challenge that has to be tackled more effectively. The frontier state had in the past few years seen an alarming migration of people from remote villages along the 1050-km border with China. “The first and foremost, is to address the challenges in social sectors, particularly the Health and education. During my recent visits to the interior places, I realised that people are migrating to urban areas and the reason is lack or inadequate health and education facilities in those areas. The government has taken a number of steps and more is in the offing,” he said. Governor Sharma said Arunachal Pradesh was endowed with nature’s bounty and had huge socio-economic potential that are waiting to be unlocked. “The government has laid special focus on infrastructure, education, health and skill development and is working to harness our strength in hydropower, tourism, agriculture, horticulture and minerals. While carrying forward ecologically balanced development agenda, it has and will continue to eradicate poverty, check corruption and provide transparency in governance,” he said. Underlining the need to fast-track developmental projects including the Trans-Arunachal Highway, governor Sharma said infrastructure had to be built by enhancing capacities. “Fast-tracking of our developmental projects and removing the bottle necks will ensure that the real fruits of development grow,” he said. Sharma also expressed satisfaction over Arunachal Pradesh gradually trying to come out of the bandh culture that was one reason crippling its growth. “What is heartening is to see peaceful democratic protests gradually replacing the bandh culture. It is good that the public institutions are under greater scrutiny and being strengthened. Also, a few examples of civil society standing up against extortion and corruption and fight against drugs menace reflect the healthy concern of the people and must be lauded,” the governor said.
