ITANAGAR, May 29: Chief Minister Pema Khandu, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and Biyuram Wahge, President of BJP State unit, warmly welcomed Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Rameswar Teli, as he arrived in Itanagar for an interactive session on BJP’s Seva, Sushasan & Garib  Kalyan initiative.  The session aimed to apprise the public and media of the remarkable achievements made by the Central Government under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu emphasized the immense development witnessed by the Northeastern states under the nine-year BJP regime since Prime Minister Modi assumed office. He specifically highlighted the unprecedented progress made in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest State in the region. The State's annual budget, which stood at 12,000 crores in 2014, has now exceeded 30,000 crores, facilitating significant advancements in digital connectivity and infrastructure, he asserted.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved the construction of a new 2,500-kilometres highway in Arunachal Pradesh. This ambitious project includes the Frontier 1500-kilometre highway connecting West Kameng to remote Vijaynagar and other locations, as well as a 1,000-kilometer interconnectivity network between districts. The Public Works Department (PWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) will monitor and execute the project, with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) currently in the advanced stage, said the CM.
Addressing the issue of strategic infrastructure, the Chief Minister noted that numerous defunct landing grounds established after the 1962 Indo-China conflict had been reactivated to meet standard specifications. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction of the Donyi Polo Airport was completed ahead of the three-year deadline. The foundation stone for the airport was laid by Prime Minister Modi in 2019. The healthcare, education, and tourism sectors have also witnessed significant improvements.
The State has successfully implemented various digital schemes, realizing the vision of Digital India. Recently, the Minister of Information Technology inaugurated 200 4G towers across the state, including in remote areas. Additionally, Arunachal Pradesh established its first medical college, the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS).
The Union Minister expressed the government's desire to bring oil companies under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. However, he lamented that opposition parties continuously objected to this move, resulting in varying fuel rates from state to state.
When questioned about the significant increase in petroleum & LPG  rates from 400 in 2014 to the current 1200, the Union Minister attributed the rise to international market rates. He further highlighted that the BJP government had distributed free LPG gas connections to 9.6 crore beneficiaries under the Ujjwala Yojana, primarily benefiting families below the poverty line.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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