ITANAGAR, March 4 � The three-day Budget session of Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly began with the Governor�s customary address to the members of the House amid protest staged by several organisations including political parties like BJP and PPA along the road leading to the Assembly in support of their respective demands.
In his address, Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma, while highlighting the achievements and developmental initiatives by the government, said during the 11th Five Year Plan Period (2007-12), the State has clocked an average growth rate of 9.4 per cent, well above the national rate of eight per cent. (Likewise), during the first year of Twelfth Five Year Plan i.e. 2012-13, our growth rate was 5.91 per cent vis-�-vis the national rate of 4.96 per cent.
�My government has in the last few years made remarkable progress in the developmental history of Arunachal Pradesh and chartered some of the hitherto unexplored areas of governance,� he said.
Noting that infrastructure in the form of road, rail, air and telecom connectivity was an imperative for development of any State, the Governor said, �My Government has made considerable progress and also laid the foundation for a robust infrastructural facility in the State�.
�Under the Prime Minister�s special economic package, which is estimated to be about Rs 33,000 crore, projects like 2319 Km road project including the two lane Trans-Arunachal Highway, district connectivity and the four-lane National Highway are under various stages of completion and the majority of these roads will be complete by June 2016,�he said.
He further divulged the State will have its first railway station at Naharlagun and trains are likely to be operational within this month. The broad gauging of the Rangiya-Murkongselek stretch has progressed to 84 per cent and will be ready by December 2014. This will cater to our requirement in the eastern part of the State.
Air connectivity will also get a major fillip with work already started in ALGs at Ziro, Pasighat, Aalo, Mechukha and Tezu. The Vijaynagar airfield is already operational and a Greenfield airport at Tawang is under active consideration by the Government of India.
He said rural connectivity under the PMGSY has also made considerable progress with 654 road projects of 3738.82 Km already completed, connecting 626 habitations by 2012-13. In 2013-14, 185.58 Km connecting 10 habitations have been completed.
On the law and order front, the Governor said considerable improvement is visible. �My Government has undertaken a lot of vertical and horizontal interventions in tackling the law and order scenario of the State. I am happy to inform that the ratio of cases registered to cases solved/ chargesheets filed has seen remarkable improvement.
Emphasis has also been given to women related crimes and accordingly, government has started the �All Women Police Station� in Itanagar. Fifteen new police stations have also been notified and will be made functional shortly.
Besides extending his best wishes for a successful conduct of the House proceedings, the Governor quoting Mahatma Gandhi told the members, �Whenever you are in doubt apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man you have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him? Then you will see your doubt melting away�.
