Dorjee actively pursuing Central schemes

Major Events Vol. 3 Issue No. 34

September 1-15, 2007

Dorjee actively pursuing Central schemes

North East News Agency

After many years things appear to be moving in Arunachal Pradesh with the new Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu vigorously pursuing implementation of different Central schemes. Within just three months of his taking the reins of the State from Gegong Apang in a silent coup on April 9 last, Khandu forced the Central leaders to fix the transportation charge for carrying PDS items in the State.

Khandu felt without a reasonable rate of transportation charge, it is not possible to streamline PDS which had almost collapsed in the State and thousands of people in remote inaccessible border areas had to go without rice and other essential items for the past several years.

The Chief Minister disclosed at a recent function that when he threatened to stage a dharna at the India Gate, the Central leaders relented and agreed to fix the rate at Rs 2.25 per quintal per km.

Buoyed at the success, the Arunachal Chief Minister placed his second demand to the Centre to give him Rs 500 crore as advance against power projects being developed in the State. Khandu said for years things did not move and blamed the previous government for the sorry state of affairs.

Khandu said when he was chairman of the apex bank from 1990 to 1995 the bank booked profit but in the last few years around Rs 200 crore worth of loans were given to unscrupulous people and the poor depositors mostly locals suffered. No steps were taken to reopen the bank and streamline the PDS to reach succour to the starving population.

Khandu who promised to root out corruption said his government has sacked 28 officers of the bank including a former MD. Nineteen other staff was suspended.

Khandhu has promised to beautify the State capital by constructing a new official residence of Chief Minister, new Assembly building and new Secretariat within two years besides taking up schemes with possible funds of around Rs1,700 crore the State Government expected to get under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission for proper development of the State capital.

Meanwhile, the Centre said that it is not aware of reports of Chinese troops traversing 20 km inside Indian territory at Sumdorong Chu in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee admitted that China illegally claims approximately 90,000 square km of Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh. The Minister, however, denied having sent a Parliamentary delegation to the State to check the intrusions.

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