Arunachal Budget focus on road link, power, health

Close on the heels of what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced during his January 30 visit to the frontier state...

Close on the heels of what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced during his January 30 visit to the frontier state, the Arunachal Pradesh Government on Wednesday presented a Rs 57.89-crore surplus Budget with Finance Minister Kalikho Pul laying maximum thrust on development of infrastructure.

“Our Government has identified physical infrastructure as the most critical factor. As such we have laid highest emphasis on road communication, health, education, power, agriculture and allied sectors, with equal focus on the welfare of women and children,” Pul said in his Budget speech. He admitted that road connectivity in the state was far below the national average, and announced that an integrated masterplan encompassing all categories of roads would be developed under various programmes soon.

“A tentative outlay of Rs 1,053 crore has been proposed to be earmarked under both Plan and non-Plan heads during 2008-9, besides laying special emphasis on rural roads though PMGSY. We are also mobilising funds under various central programmes including the North Eastern Council (NEC), NLCPR, Calamity Relief Fund and SARDP-NE for inter-state connectivities,” the Finance Minister said.

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The Congress Government headed by Dorjee Khandu also hailed the PM’s Rs 10,000-crore economic package as of “historical significance”.

The PM had announced a Trans-Arunachal Highway of Rs 5,500 crore covering a distance of 1,840 km, a border village illumination programme of Rs 500 crore, connection of 513 villages under PMGSY, rail connectivity to Itanagar and development of a greenfield airport in the state capital, apart from making the airports at Tezu, Ziro, Pasighat, Daporijo and Aalo functional. Pul’s Budget also announced an outlay of Rs 700 crore for the power sector.

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