Shoulder responsibilities to mitigate COVID impact: Arunachal Governor to lawmakers

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig. (retd) Dr B.D. Mishra on Thursday called upon the Members of the State Legislative Assembly to shoulder responsibility to design plans, enact and adopt provisions so that the State not only mitigates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic but also emerges with strong socio-economic and health achievements.

Addressing the first day of the 12-day Budget session, the Governor said that the current session would remain guided by six key result areas underscored by the Union Budget which includes health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India , reinvigorating human capital, innovation and research & development and minimum government and maximum governance.

"Our policies should be for strengthening the philosophy of 'Nation first'. Our focus should be for doubling farmers' income, healthy India, good governance, opportunities for youths, education for all, women empowerment and inclusive development," said Dr Mishra in his 50-minute speech. "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 added.

He also said that the government is bringing in professionalism in the system by upgrading the skills of government workforce thereby improving absorption capacity and increasing the resource base of States.

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

The Governor added that the State government is fully poised to utilize all available resources for the overall socio-economic development of the State and the people.

He also said that the State government had gone all out to change the COVID-19 challenge into opportunity to accelerate the pace of development in the State in the past one year.

"It is you, in true 'joy sharing' spirit of Arunachali 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, adding that the government expressed appriciation to you for foregoing your salary and providing one installment of the MLA Local Area Development Fund to fight the pandemic.

He further said that the government has set forth its vision to bring equitable and sustainable development in the State and is working hard to achieve excellence in governance, quality education, better health services, progressive changes in agriculture & allied sectors, employment generation, livelihood activities, ease of doing business, drinking water to all, among others.

"The government is also focusing on providing uninterrupted power supply, good connectivity & communication, promoting tourism, establishing inter-tribe harmony, maintenance of law & order, social partnership, conserving ecological balance and preserving the rich culture and heritage of the tribal societies," Dr Mishra added.

The Governor informed that the government had provided an assistance of Rs. 1,000 per BPL family covering 1.77 lakh families which helped them during the 'Lock Down' days. More than 65,000 families received free LPG cylinder under the Ujjwala scheme.

Under 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana', the government provided Rs 2,000 to 62,000 farmer families besides additional Rs 1,000 to 68,000 farmer families, he said adding, an estimated 1.48 lakh women Jan-Dhan account holders received Rs 1,500 in their account from the government and around 42,000 divyangs, widows and senior citizens received Rs 1,000 in their account.

"Scholarships were provided to 20,162 students and 17,918 students were provided with stipend. Our government provided Rs 3,500 each to more than 17,000 Arunachalees who were stranded outside our State during the lockdown period," said Dr Mishra.

The government has initiated major steps to strengthen the health infrastructure and taken up a massive Rs 400 crore project to upgrade the health infrastructure in the district hospitals, he said.

ICU facilities have been established at seven locations while, 78 ambulances have been procured to provide services in the remote corners. In the last few months 400 staff nurses, 66 medical officers and 34 specialist doctors have been recruited, added the Governor.

"Giving thrust to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Heath for all Mission', the government has till date, converted 66 Primary Health Care Centres and 140 Sub Centres as Health & Wellness Centres. In the coming year, the government is committed to convert all our Primary Health care facilities to Health & Wellness Centres," he said.

Referring to the Education sector, the Governor said that despite huge territorial dispersions and majority of schools being located in the interiors, the government under the Arunachal Pradesh Teachers Transfer & Posting Policy 2020, is putting in all effort to rationalize and provide teachers wherever needed.

"My government has taken series of initiatives to strengthen the infrastructure of school education. During the next two years we will be operationalising five new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) - one each in Leparada, Tirap, Lower Dibang Valley, Kurung Kumey and Lohit districts. Another five schools will come up in 3 to 4 years in Itanagar, Naharlagun, Khonsa, East Kameng and West Siang," he said.

Altogether eight model residential schools under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) with total outlay of 284 crore will also come up in next 3 years in West Kameng, Kra Daadi, Tawang, Lower Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Upper Siang, Kurung Kumey and Pakke Kessang districts, disclosed Dr Mishra.

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