Itanagar, Oct 01, 2024, IANS

Itanagar, Oct 1 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday reaffirmed the Central government's commitment to the development of Arunachal Pradesh and the entire northeastern region, pledging continued financial and administrative support for future projects. Inaugurating five infrastructure projects under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) virtually from Itanagar, FM Sitharaman said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already given top priority to the development of the region, comprising eight states. "The government would continue to provide financial and technical support to the developmental projects of the northeastern states," she said. The five infrastructure projects amounting to over Rs 86 crore, include the upgradation of district hospitals at Khonsa and Changlang, along with construction of roads in Pasighat, flood protection and sheet piling at Deobeel and cluster MIPs in Lower Siang. In his address, Chief Minister Pema Khandu emphasised the unprecedented focus on the northeast region in the Union Budgets since 2014, stating that prior to this, the northeast was rarely mentioned. "Every Central budget now reflects the importance of the northeast region. A budget without the northeast in focus is incomplete," he remarked, and acknowledged the unique challenges faced by the state in terms of infrastructure development but lauded the remarkable progress made under the Central government's support. Khandu noted that the revenue of the state has increased. Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh's vast hydropower potential, the Chief Minister said: "Arunachal would significantly contribute to the national economy through hydropower." He appreciated the Central Government's support in ensuring state equity in hydropower projects. Khandu emphasised the need for upgrading outdated infrastructure across Arunachal Pradesh. He pointed out that many existing structures were of SPT type and called for rapid development and conversion to Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) structures. The Chief Minister stressed the need to improve the state's low Credit-Deposit (CD) ratio and requested continued support from the Union Finance Minister in expanding banking services. He appreciated the establishment of SBI Regional Business Office (RBO) in the state and urged for similar facilities in western Arunachal Pradesh. Khandu also highlighted the difficulties in availing infrastructure loans due to external interventions.