Arunachal Pradesh can become State with highest per capita income: Kiren Rijiju

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itanagar: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday said that Arunachal Pradesh can become the highest per capita income generating State as the Central devolution per capita to the State is the highest in North-East.

Chairing a review meeting on the aspirational district programme of the Namsai district at Namsai, the Union Law & Justice Minister said that the need of the hour is to enhance revenue generation at the local level.

He appealed to the youths to channelize their energy in positive directions and contribute in development of the State.

Rijiju said that Arunachal is progressing in a very systematic way in every sector under the leadership of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein.

He commended Mein for the presentation of a futuristic Annual Budget 2022-23 during the recently concluded Budget session.

"From an aspirational district, Namsai is now developing into a model district in the State," Rijiju said, adding that Namsai had made a transformational change in development over the last four years, which is the result of good leadership led by Mein, a dedicated team of officers led by the district administration and judicious utilization of funds.

He congratulated the Namsai district administration for the remarkable improvement in their ranking from 93rd to 14th in overall ranking among the 112 aspirational districts in the country.

The Union Minister further said that the development model in Namsai could be replicated in other districts too, and good developmental schemes in other districts could also be replicated in Namsai for all-round development of the State.

"Namsai being centrally located in eastern Arunachal will become an educational, tourism and pilgrimage hub," he said and assured to help in seeking Central funding for Centrally-sponsored schemes and also for a multipurpose outdoor stadium in Namsai, which he had assured in his earlier visit when he was the Minister of State for Sports & Youth Affairs.

Deputy Chief Minister Mein, while speaking on the occasion, informed that Namsai made a quantum jump in its ranking among the 112 aspirational districts in the country from 93rd rank in the first year (2018) to 14th rank in the year 2021-22 as the overall composite score moved from 35.80 in 2018 to 53.40 till February, 2022.

He said that it is because of the hard work and dedication by the district administration, departmental heads, Government employees and all the stakeholders.

Mein added that Namsai received Rs 15 crore as award money from NITI Aayog due to its good performance on Delta rankings. He further informed that in health and nutrition sectors too, the district had made a substantial improvement from 42.16 to 79.40 during the period and secured 1st Delta Rank in 2020 and 2nd Delta Rank in 2019.

"The district had secured 1st Delta Rank twice in the year 2019 and 2020 in the education sector," he added.

On the occasion, Namsai MLA Chau Zingnu Namchoom also spoke while Deputy Commissioner RK Sharma made a thorough presentation on the status of aspirational district programme.

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