Itanagar: Emphasizing on the vital role that the deputy commissioners play for the overall development of a district and state, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that implementing government schemes at the grassroot depend upon their actions and so does achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Addressing the DCs from across the state during the opening ceremony of the two-day conference on SDGs here, Khandu said he has full faith in their capabilities, which gives him the confidence to set deadlines whenever required.
The chief minister said the deputy commissioners and government officials have not failed him till date.
“I accept challenges, why? Because I have full confidence in you,” he said.
Khandu, in the presence of Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also reiterated that while the country has set to accomplish the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by 2024, Arunachal Pradesh has taken upon itself to complete it by 2023.
“Now it is up to you (DCs) to make it happen,” he said.
Informing that the state’s cumulative score of SDG has increased from 51 in 2018 to 60 in 2021, the chief minister however asserted that the score needs to be enhanced at a faster rate if the goals are to be achieved on time.
“Down the line, achieving the SDGs will fully depend upon DCs in the districts,” he pointed.
Khandu said the challenges and potentials of a DC differ from district to district.
DCs are in the best position to know the challenges and potentials of their respective districts. So you have to be innovative and make your own decisions best suited for your district. Don’t wait for government directives all the time, he advised.
The chief minister suggested focusing on four sectors – tourism, agri-allied sectors, hydropower and natural resources – during the conference and chalking out a roadmap to harness these potentials viably without harming the environment.
He requested the commissioners and secretaries headed by the chief secretary present to discuss in detail all government policies and programmes and the role DCs can play in successful implementation of these during the conference.
Speaking on the occasion, deputy chief minister Chowna Mein requested the DCs to focus on the factors that will ensure sustainability of any project developed by the government.
“Several good infrastructures have been developed by the government but due to the non-sustainability of the project, these infrastructures get damaged sooner or later,” he said.
Mein expressed hope that after the conference, the DCs will be more focused on their monitoring mechanism from the SDG perspective, as they are vital to how the development process will be steered in their respective districts in the coming future.
“This conference on SDGs will go a long way in ensuring that the respective DCs take ownership of these goals and play a leading role in improving the rankings of their districts. It is when the global SDGs are localized into district specific targets, we will be able to achieve our commitments to the international community,” he said.
The inaugural session was also graced by Union minister DoNER G Kishan Reddy and Lok Sabha MP (East) Tapir Gao. (CMMC)
