Arunachal Guv addresses Assembly on first day of budget session

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ITANAGAR:

Arunachal Governor BD Mishra attended the first day of the 12-day budget session in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, on Thursday.

While delivering the Governor's Address, he said the current budget will be guided by six key areas emphasised by the Union government - the health and wellbeing, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation, research, development, including minimum government and maximum governance.

Talking about the 'nation first' policy, he said that the government should focus on farmers' welfare, health, good governance, youth welfare, women empowerment and other issues.

"We are shifting our stance from expenditure-oriented budgeting to outcome-oriented budgeting. We are dovetailing all central schemes for the benefit of the people of the state," he said.

"The government intends to upgrade the skills of the workforce system to improve absorption capacity and increase the state's resource base," he said.

"This will bring about a decrease in our dependence on central funding. We are determined to place policies conducive to ease of working of central government agencies, such as the power sector companies, the Border Roads Organisation, national highways and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)."

He said the government has an effective plan to alter the Covid-19 challenge to an opportunity for the state's development.

"It is you, in true 'joy sharing' spirit of Arunachalee ethos, who helped convert the MLA apartments here into a dedicated Covid hospital. This hospital provided valuable clinical services to hundreds of patients and saved many precious lives," he said.

Thanking the MLAs for their help during the pandemic, he said the government appreciates them foregoing their salaries and providing one instalment of the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Scheme (MLALAD) funds to fight the pandemic.

Talking about the education sector, he said the government plans to achieve quality education, better health services, progressive changes in agriculture and allied sectors, employment generation, livelihood activities, ease of doing business, drinking water to all, among others.

"The government is also focused on providing uninterrupted power supply, good connectivity and communication by promoting tourism, establishing inter-tribe harmony, maintaining law and order, social partnerships, conserving the ecological balance and preserving the rich culture and heritage of tribal societies," he said.

He also highlighted the government-assisted Rs 1,000 per BPL family for 1.77 Lakh families.

"Over 65,000 families availed free LPG cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme," he said.

About 1.48 Lakh women having Jan-Dhan accounts received Rs 1,500 in their accounts from the government, and around 42,000 divyangs, widows and senior citizens received Rs 1,000.

We also released scholarships and stipends to students, he said.

"Our government provided Rs 3,500 each to over 17,000 stranded Arunachalees during the lockdown," Mishra said.

Talking about healthcare plans, he said that Rs 400 crore was sanctioned to upgrade the health infrastructure of the state.

"Giving thrust to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's health for all' mission, the government has till date, converted 66 primary healthcare centres and 140 sub-centres as health and wellness centres. In the coming year, the government is committed to convert all the primary healthcare facilities to health and wellness centres," he said.

He also highlighted various government initiatives to upgrade the education facilities in the state.

"Another five schools will come up in three to four years in Itanagar, Naharlagun, Khonsa, East Kameng and West Siang," he said.

"In the next three years, eight model residential schools will come up across various districts, under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) with a total outlay of Rs 284 crore," he added.

(Edited by Gabriel G Momin)

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