Served by the Brahmaputra river system, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam share common weal and woe. The latest high flood in the Siang with its adverse impact on parts of both the States has reminded us again that the geography has destined the people of two States to work together in close co-operation to convert adversity into prosperity. The delay in launching sustainable multipurpose river projects ­ Siang and Subansiri ­ has cost both the States and the nation dearly in terms of destruction of life, property and installations. It is unfortunate that the starting of the execution of flood control and power generation projects of great promise has been delayed. It augurs well that the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Sri Mukut Mithi has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement about these two mega hydel projects and the investigations being done by the NHPC in Siang and Subansiri basins. The Chief Minister wants actual starting of execution work from 2001 along with simultaneous catchment treatment plan for the basins to protect the ecology of the area and arrest any likely degradation of the environment and the siltation of the reservoirs. This realistic view of Sri Mithi should be given due weight by both the Brahmaputra Board and the Government of India. The importance of road as the basic infrastructure in the North East cannot be over-emphasised. The Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister’s strong plea for taking up of a number of important road schemes has to be understood in this context. He has welcomed the approval of three Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-State roads namely Nahorkatiya-Khonsa, Margherita-Changlang and Jote Balijan-Gahigaon among the eight roads approved pursuant to the announcement made by the Prime Minister. According to him, Arunachal Pradesh is urgently in need of a road from Dhola to Roing via Chapakhowa (Assam) which will include a bridge over the river Brahmaputra in Assam. He is happy that the Government of India, through the agency of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has taken up building of some strategic roads like Anini-Dembuen, Anini-Mipi and Etalin-Maliney in the interior areas close to the international border. Some more strategic roads are likely to be taken up in Dibang Valley and Lohit district in future strategic interest. Still the problem of accessibility of some areas of Arunachal Pradesh will continue to bedevil not only Arunachal Pradesh but in fact the country as a whole unless a road from Dhola to Roing is developed by constructing a bridge over the river Brahmaputra. Besides, Sri Mithi has advocated the construction of a National Highway along the middle belt of Arunachal Pradesh starting from Orang in Assam and passing through Arunachal districts and extension of the National Highways to cover large tracts of the border State. Strides in horticulture already made by Arunachal Pradesh will receive further boost from the thrust in horticulture with special incentives for the NE region and Sikkim and the development of the road network has become a higher priority and as such Sri Mithi’s plea for more Central funds is justified. While development of roads and generation of electricity are main components in the programme for transforming Arunachal from an economy of primitive agriculture and livestock rearing, there is the aspiration for catching up with the rest of the country by taking active role in the computer revolution and advancement of information technology. Education as an important input has already brought about a quantum jump for the younger generation in the border State.

It is indeed a matter of some satisfaction that Assam has been lately showing clear signs of economic regeneration through emphasis on agriculture and allied sectors. The downslide in income generation and stagnation in agriculture have been responsible for lack of economic development and increase in poverty and unemployment. Although the economy of the State is essentially agricultural with 89 per cent of the population living in rural areas and approximately 69 per cent of the population engaged in agriculture, the predominantly single-crop economy has not been able to generate surplus for promoting effective economic development. The grave implications of the scenario of under-development have been reflected in the percentage of educated unemployment in the rural areas surpassing that of the urban areas. That the key to total development of States like Assam lies in the accelerated development of the agriculture and allied sectors cannot be disputed. The lopsided emphasis on mega scale industries is neither sustainable nor desirable if the farm sector remains neglected and the necessary awareness does not grow in the population.

In this background the initiative taken by the Assam Government with favourable response from the people to usher in a green revolution through the active role of the field management committees and untiring efforts of farmers deserves support at all levels. The FMCs conceived at the time of the chief ministership of late Bimala Prasad Chaliha and personally promoted by him have now become one of the most important instruments of agricultural extension and technology transfer. Besides, under the Samriddha Krishak Yojana, an ambitious programme of providing shallow tube wells for rabi crops has been launched with assistance from the NABARD and the World Bank. This programme has received very encouraging response from farmers in large tracts of the Brahmaputra Valley as farmers can install shallow tube wells (each STW irrigating 2 hectares of land) with bank credit and seed money type contribution from farmers themselves. The scheme is so attractive that farmers rush to avail it and increase their income very considerably through double and treble cropping. With one lakh STWs in place, two lakh hectares of more land are under production augmenting total production of foodgrains making Assam almost hitting the target of self-sufficiency in rice. High yielding varieties of rice have also made their entry in Assam’s fields while the rice research station at Gerua has developed a high-yielding variety suitable for Assam soil. The State today is on the agricultural growth path mainly due to the encouraging response from farmers to various schemes undertaken for accelerated development.

The STW scheme alone would generate additional earning to the tune of Rs 400 crore annually while the supply of 2,500 tractors and 10,000 power tillers under the farm mechanisation programme would also contribute considerably to the increase in farm income. However, additional production of foodgrains, vegetables and other agricultural produces is also fraught with problems as lack of storage and marketing facilities often result in distress sale and/or rotting of products of toil. Unfortunately no matching programme has been taken up to provide marketing and storing facilities. Besides, the government is yet to take up adequate schemes for areas where STWs are not feasible. Alternative sources of water for rabi crop should be tapped for those areas. The State government can explore the possibility of taking up a crash programme for building cold storages in different areas with liberal finance and special incentives offered for cold storages by the National Horticulture Board under the thrust programme for the North East sanctioned by the Government of India. Assam’s march in agriculture must continue and there cannot be any going back.