Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu, led the 26th e-Pragati meeting with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to discuss the progress of various projects and address pending issues. The meeting, held in Itanagar on Wednesday, primarily focused on land acquisition for defense purposes and road construction in border areas.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Pema Khandu was joined by Rural Works Department (RWD) Minister Honchun Ngandam, the Chief Secretary, representatives from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Defence Estate Officer (DEO) in Itanagar, and other top state officials. Deputy Commissioners and DEO Tezpur, along with representatives from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), participated in the review meeting online.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu urged the deputy commissioners of several districts including Kurung Kumey, Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Changlang, Upper Siang, West Kameng, Shi Yomi, Upper Subansiri, Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, and Papum Pare to expedite the submission of their respective land compensation assessment reports. This would enable user agencies such as BRO, ITBP, and NHIDCL to proceed with their respective tasks. The Chief Minister requested a timeline from each deputy commissioner to ensure the completion of all pending issues.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Pema Khandu emphasized the importance of rejecting fraudulent land compensation claims. He instructed the deputy commissioners to take legal action against individuals involved in construction or any other activities on lands after the issuance of notifications. He clarified that compensation requests would only be considered for infrastructure or agricultural fields that existed before the notifications. Requests for compensation related to infrastructure constructed after the notifications would not be entertained.
To address disputes arising from land acquisition for the construction of treks or roads, the Chief Minister recommended resolving them tactfully and peacefully by involving local elected representatives from the area.
In terms of enhancing road connectivity to promote tourism, Chief Minister Pema Khandu suggested undertaking road and infrastructure projects under the recently launched Vibrant Village Program (VVP) initiated by the central government. This approach would facilitate the development of tourist-centric areas with significant tourism potential. He also highlighted the importance of creating awareness among tour operators, hoteliers, and other stakeholders to offer tourist-friendly activities, thus encouraging longer stays by tourists. Additionally, with the commencement of tourism courses in the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the state, locally trained youths could be engaged as tourist guides.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of 13 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), including PMAY (both rural and urban), Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), Amrit Sarovar, Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Jal Jeevan Mission, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and others. He emphasized the need for achieving 100 percent saturation within the designated timelines.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Pema Khandu assessed the status of the installation of 4G towers across the state by BSNL. Expressing concern over the slow pace of progress, he assured BSNL of the full support of the state government in expediting the process.
