Modi unveils Rs 5,100-cr projects in Arunachal, slams Congress for ‘neglecting’ NE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (September 22) alleged that the Congress has an “inherent habit” of abandoning any development work that is difficult, and this caused significant harm to the North East.

Addressing a rally at the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar after unveiling development projects worth Rs 5,125.37 crore, Modi said he knew that the North East could not be developed from Delhi, and so, he sent ministers and officers more frequently to the region, and he himself went there more than 70 times.

“One inherent habit of Congress is that they never take up development work which is difficult to do; they abandon it. This habit of Congress caused significant harm to Arunachal Pradesh and the entire North East. In the hilly and forested areas, where development work was challenging, Congress would declare the regions backward and simply forget them,” he claimed.

Foundation laid for two hydropower projects

From Indira Gandhi Park, Modi virtually laid the foundation stones for two major hydropower projects in Shi Yomi district, and a convention centre in Tawang.

The Tato-I project, with a capacity of 186 mw, will be developed jointly by the Arunachal Pradesh government and the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) at a cost of Rs 1,750 crore. It is expected to generate around 802 million units of electricity annually.

The 240-mw Heo project will also be developed by the state government and NEEPCO at Rs 1,939 crore. It is expected to produce 1,000 million units of electricity each year.

These projects, to be developed on the Yarjep river, are part of a larger effort to expand Arunachal Pradesh’s hydroelectric capacity, contributing significantly to regional energy security, officials said.

‘Double benefits’ of ‘double-engine’ government

Modi also laid the foundation stone for a convention centre in Tawang, to be built under the PM-DevINE scheme at Rs 145.37 crore. With a capacity to host over 1,500 people, it will meet global standards and support the tourism and cultural potential of the region, they said.

The PM also launched several other infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,290 crore, catering to various sectors, including connectivity, health and fire safety, they said.

Modi said the projects he unveiled were an example of “double benefits” of the “double-engine” government. “Arunachal got Rs 1 lakh crore from Centre in the last 10 yrs, which is 16 times more than what it got during Congress rule,” he said.

‘Double bonanza’ on Navratri

The PM said that with the launch of GST reforms on the first day of Navratri, people will receive a “double bonanza” this festive season.

“Today, next-generation GST reforms have been implemented across the country, and the GST ‘Bachat Utsav’ has begun. During the season of festivals, the people have received a double bonanza,” he said.

“The GST reforms will reduce kitchen budget, helping women,” he added.

The PM said the previous Congress government kept on increasing taxes even as everything got expensive. “Congress imposed a heavy tax burden on the people, but our government has gradually reduced taxes, giving relief,” he said.

‘Our only mantra is Nagrik Devo Bhava’

Modi alleged the border villages were neglected by successive Congress governments, leading to the migration of people from these areas. He claimed that the Congress also overlooked Arunachal Pradesh, as it has only two Lok Sabha seats.

“When I was given the opportunity to serve the nation in 2014, I resolved to free the country from the mindset of Congress. Our guiding principle is not the number of votes or seats in any state, but ‘nation first’. Our only mantra is ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’ (the citizen is God),” he said.

“Modi worships those whom no one has ever asked about. That is why Arunachal Pradesh, which was neglected during Congress rule, has since 2014 become a centre of developmental priority,” he added.

Governor KT Parnaik, Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were also present at the programme.

(With agency inputs)