Namsai: Union Environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday said that the Central government is working with a vision to develop all the border states of the country and efforts are being made to ensure that there is no shortage of infrastructure development in these areas.
“The main motto of the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to provide sewa (service) to the common people and ensure that the benefits of schemes reach the needy and poor,” Yadav said.
The union minister said this after reviewing the aspirational district programme in the presence of deputy chief minister Chowna Mein at the district secretariat here.
Yadav said that the good governance is for ‘Garib Kalyan’ and it should be accompanied by innovations and will power to deliver.
“Simultaneously, scientific attitude and cultural way of life must go together. Scientific attitude would help us move forward along with the world while cultural attitude would help us with our ethical values,” he said.
The minister exhorted the heads of departments present in the meeting to work in synergy with other associated departments in order to achieve better results in the implementations of schemes.
He commended the Government of Arunachal Pradesh for becoming the first state to adopt the climate change declaration in line with the announcement made by PM Modi at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021.
He further assured to look into any important project, if pending, due to environmental issues and said that his ministry is ready to extend all support to the state government.
The minister also emphasized on promoting startups for the youths through the Prime Minister Awaz Yojana.
He also lauded Mein for his initiatives to preserve and promote indigenous cultures and his efforts to provide recognition to the unsung heroes of the state.
Mein in his speech said though Namsai is a new district, it is growing rapidly, especially in the tourism sector thanks to the good road connectivity.
Several central locations, tourist spots and pilgrimage sites like Parasuram Kund, Glow Lake, Namdapha National Park, Bismak Nagar, Dong Village etc. are easily accessible from Namsai, he said.
He informed that the weekly average tourist footfall in the district is 5000 and the district has been recording more than 2 lakh tourist footfalls annually.
Mein also highlighted various state government flagship programs like Atma-Nirbhar Krishi and Atma-Nirbhar Bhagwani Yojanas, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swalamban Yojana, etc.
Terming hydropower as the biggest potential of the state, he said that it will become the biggest revenue earner for Arunachal Pradesh in the near future.
Further citing stringent conditions and prolonged forest clearance processes as the main hurdles for developmental activities, Mein informed that though the Khamtis started to settle in Namsai and Chongkham in 1751, the areas were notified as forest reserve in later 1936.
Around 82% area of Namsai falls under Forest Reserve, he said, further proposing de-reservation of the already existing villages and towns.
Tezu MLA Karikho Kri highlighted the achievements of the Lohit district while Namsai MLA Chau Zingnu Namchoom highlighted the challenges faced by the Namsai district.
Earlier, planning and investment commissioner Prashant Lokhande highlighted the initiatives of the state government under various flagships programmes like border area development, digital connectivity, action taken to fight drug abuse, hydropower, etc.
The union minister later inspected the ongoing construction work of the Namsai district hospital and laid the foundation stone for the mother and child health wing.
He also visited the drug de-addiction centre run by the Women Welfare Society of Chongkham and interacted with the society members and inmates of the centre.
He also visited Parasuram Kund and inspected the ongoing works under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme.
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