Itanagar: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday emphasised building good infrastructure in strategically located Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China.
“Arunachal Pradesh, besides being the largest state in the Northeast in terms of area which shares international boundaries (with three countries – China, Myanmar, and Bhutan), is a very important state from the strategic and geographical point of view.
“It’s imperative to have good infrastructure for national security and the state’s economic growth,” stated the President in her address to the gathering at Arunachal Pradesh’s 37th Statehood Day function at IG Park here.
She was happy to note that the Central Government has approved schemes worth more than rupees 44,000 crore for the development of national highway infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh.
She said that Arunachal Pradesh has become a power-surplus state following the commissioning of the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station last year.
Further expressing her delight on landing at Arunachal’s first greenfield airport, which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in November last year, the President expressed confidence that the all-weather Donyi Polo Airport would improve the connectivity of the state and also give a boost to trade and tourism.
Greeting all on Statehood Day and recalling unsung heroes from Arunachal who took part in the country’s freedom struggle, the President said that the development of any society cannot be inclusive without the development of women.
She was happy to note that about 47 per cent of representatives of Panchayats in Arunachal Pradesh are women. She said that women of Arunachal Pradesh are getting success in every field.
She expressed confidence that women from across the country would take inspiration from Arunachal’s women, such as Anshu Jamsenpa, who is the first woman to summit Mount Everest twice in five days and Tage Rita Takhe, who is promoting women’s participation in enterprise and taking local agro-based products of Arunachal to the international market.
Hailing the beauty of the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, the President said that in India, the first rays of the sun fall on Arunachal Pradesh.
“The different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh, their cultural heritage, and their unity in diversity inspire all of us. It can be said that the society of Arunachal Pradesh is the microcosm of India,” said the President, who attended the civic reception hosted in her honour by the state government.
Murmu said that enriched with mountains, dense forests, lakes, waterfalls, and flora and fauna, this state is a rich biodiversity zone.
She was happy to note that the government of Arunachal Pradesh has adopted the “Pakke Declaration” to meet the challenges of climate change and conserve biodiversity.
She was also happy to note that drone technology is being used by the Arunachal government for agriculture, horticulture, health services, and environment protection. She said these are important steps for environmental conservation.
According to the president, the entire North Eastern region, including Arunachal Pradesh, is critical to India’s development.
She was happy to note that several meetings of the G-20 are also being held in the NE states, including one meeting in Itanagar next month.
She was confident that these meetings would give a boost to the culture and tourism of the North Eastern states and generate investment opportunities in the region.
