ITANAGAR, March 18 � The five-day Budget session of Arunachal Assembly commenced today with the customary address by Governor Gen (retd) JJ Singh, highlighting some of the achievements of Dorjee Khandu Government and its vision for the development of the State.
The Budget will be presented tomorrow by Finance Minister Setong Sena.
The Governor, in his 35-minute address, said, �I am glad to note that the new Congress Government has started fulfilling its pre-poll promises. Towards this, the Government has already set in motion the process towards fine-tuning the administrative systems to achieve its objective � people�s first.�
He said the Government should give top priority towards providing a clean, efficient, transparent and people-friendly administration.
Referring to the law-and-order scenario in the State, the Governor said that law and order has remained normal during the year. Fifty-one cadres of various insurgent groups surrendered in Tirap district�
�The Government is actively considering the adoption of a surrender policy which will inspire even more misguided boys and girls to give up the cult of gun and join the mainstream,� he said.
�It would be the commitment of my Government to ensure maintenance of peace and tranquility, to free the State from social injustice, ill-health and inequality and promote education amongst all, especially the girl child. It will continue to give priority to eradicating poverty and checking corruption while carrying forward the development agenda of providing maximum employment opportunities to the youth of the State.�
Announcing that the State Government had recently approved the setting up of a 300MW coal-based thermal power project at Kharsang, the Governor said, �The government will lay special focus on harnessing the rich hydro-power potential and mineral resources and also go all-out in developing tourism, agriculture and horticulture potential of the State.�
He informed under the NREGA, over 32,000 households were given employment during this year, adding that efforts were being made to provide potable drinking water to all villages of the State by 2011-12.
