Arunachal Staff Selection Board (SSB) brought reform in recruitment process: Chief Minister Pema Khandu

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Friday that one of the greatest reforms his government brought to the state after coming to power in 2016 was the constitution of the state's Staff Selection Board (SSB) for merit-based recruitment in Group C and D posts.

Taking part in the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, Khandu said that his government, after taking over the reins of the state in 2016, brought several reforms in many sectors, but the greatest reform was the SSB's fair and transparent selection of candidates.

Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik addressed the members of the assembly during the inaugural day of the two-day Budget session on Thursday.

"On my first visit to Delhi after becoming the chief minister to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first mantra of development given to me by him (Modi) was for bringing reformation in policies to transform the state and to lead it towards development," Khandu said, adding that in 2017, the SSB was constituted for merit-based recruitment, shedding off the earlier system of 'pick and choose'.

"Earlier, due to a lack of a proper system for recruitment, genuine candidates were deprived. We have now created an environment of health competition for recruitment in the state, which will improve the work culture and delivery mechanism in the days to come," the chief minister pointed out.

Appreciating the BJP-led government at the Centre and Modi for the unstinted support to the state, Khandu said that in the last ten years, Arunachal Pradesh as well as the entire Northeast have witnessed a sea change in developmental activities.

"The Centre's focus on Arunachal Pradesh is massive, and to give a boost to border infrastructure, the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last year at Kibithoo, the last Indian village in Anjaw district, bordering China," Khandu said, adding it was a strategy to reverse migration to border areas and to counter China's infrastructure development along the international border.

He stated that 187 tourism projects worth 105 crore are going on in the state, and two cities, Itanagar and Pasighat, under the Smart City initiative of the Centre, are coming up with an estimate of Rs 1000 crore.

The chief minister added that the state government, along with the Assam government, has resolved the decades-old vexed boundary issue between the two neighbours across the table after the BJP came to power in both the Centre and the states.

He thanked all the stakeholders involved in resolving the long-standing issue of the boundary dispute.

On the interim budget of the Centre, Khandu said that the regular budget after the NDA returns to power in 2024 would be the foundation stone for Vikshit Arunachal and NE when the country enters the Amrit Kaal.

The majority of the members cutting across party lines supported the motion of thanks in the Governor's Address.

Taking part in the discussion, Congress Legislature Party leader Lombo Tayeng, while supporting the motion, suggested a mechanism by the government to stop the inflow of drugs and narcotics into the state from outside.

Tayeng also requested the government frame a policy and initiate discussion with the Food Corporation of India to purchase surplus rice from farmers in the state for distribution under various central schemes.

Senior Congress member and former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, while supporting the motion, suggested adequate infrastructure development in the newly created districts of the state.

Later, Speaker P. D. Sona adjourned the house sine die after the assembly adopted the motion by voice vote.

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