Arunachal cabinet clears Rs 7,834 crore package, major reforms
Itanagar, July 17
The Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, on Friday approved a Rs 7,834-crore development package, along with governance, education, infrastructure, and employment reforms aimed at improving the ease of living, ease of doing business, and public service delivery in the state.
A senior official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said investments were cleared for four flagship Chief Minister's Comprehensive Schemes for 2026‑29.
An outlay of Rs 2,334 crore was approved for Phase‑II of the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Road Development Plan (CMCSRDP) to improve connectivity in district headquarters, sub‑divisional headquarters and the Capital Complex. Officials were directed to complete pending projects under Phase‑I by March 2027.
The Cabinet sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore for the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Rural Road Development Programme (CMCSRRDP) to provide all‑weather connectivity to habitations not covered under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Another Rs 2,000 crore was approved under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Power Development Programme (CMCSPDP) to modernise power infrastructure and reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to 18 per cent by March 2029.
Rs 1,500 crore was cleared for Phase‑II of Mission Shikshit Arunachal (2026‑29) to bridge school infrastructure gaps, strengthen teacher training, enhance digital monitoring and improve learning outcomes.
The cumulative Rs 7,834 crore investment aims to converge Central and State schemes to address critical infrastructure and education gaps, representing one of the biggest packages by the Pema Khandu government in recent years.
The Cabinet rolled out the AI‑powered e‑HRMS 2.0 (Manav Sampada) platform to digitise the entire lifecycle of government employees, from recruitment to retirement, and directed all departments to adopt it expeditiously.
Among other decisions, the Cabinet approved the Chief Minister's Frontier Sainik School Scholarship Scheme to support students in notified Sainik Schools and the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun.
It also cleared an Indian Army‑led mentorship programme to help Arunachal youths prepare for admission to military institutions and pursue careers in the armed forces.
To boost entrepreneurship, the Cabinet approved the ARUN MSME Mission to revive and upgrade 500 micro, small, and medium enterprises annually, while supporting market access, exports, and capacity building.
The Arunachal Human Capital and Economic Transformation Vision 2036 was also approved, targeting the skilling of 1 lakh youths, creating 10,000 entrepreneurs, facilitating 10,000 apprenticeships and overseas placements, establishing 100 industry partnerships, and upgrading all 10 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into modern skill hubs.
In a significant employment decision, the Cabinet approved a 20 per cent reservation for retired Agniveers from Arunachal Pradesh in constabulary and equivalent posts in the police, armed police battalions, fire services, forest department, prisons, and other uniformed services.
To strengthen agriculture and allied sectors, the Cabinet approved the Arunachal Pradesh Apiculture and Honey Policy, 2026, aimed at making the state a leading honey producer in the Northeast through scientific and commercially viable beekeeping.
Measures to improve ease of doing business include exempting businesses holding specified statutory licences from obtaining separate trade licences and removing regulatory duplication for 56 categories of businesses.
The Cabinet also approved healthcare initiatives under CM CARES (Chief Minister's Comprehensive Action for Resilient, Equitable & Healthy State), Mission SURAKSHA (State Unified Response Against Drugs, Substance Harm & Addiction) and Ayushman Aarogya Shivir-Intensified 30‑Day Integrated Health Camps.
Officials said CM CARES will strengthen healthcare, social protection, and citizen well‑being through the convergence of schemes, while Mission SURAKSHA will unify prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and enforcement against substance abuse.
In line with the Prime Minister's target of TB Mukt Bharat, the Cabinet approved Ayushman Aarogya Shivir-a 30‑day state‑wide campaign to improve healthcare access, with special emphasis on tuberculosis elimination through intensified screening, early diagnosis and treatment.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I'm cautiously optimistic. The Mission Shikshit Arunachal Phase-II with Rs 1,500 crore for education infrastructure is commendable, but teacher training needs more emphasis. Digital monitoring is good only if there's reliable internet in remote areas - still a big challenge in many parts of Arunachal. 🤔
The 20% reservation for Agniveers in uniformed services is a smart move. It provides career progression for those who served and strengthens local law enforcement with disciplined personnel. But hope they also focus on regular recruitment to avoid shortages in the police force. Good package overall but implementation is key!
Impressive vision with the Arunachal Human Capital and Economic Transformation Vision 2036. Skilling 1 lakh youths and creating 10,000 entrepreneurs in a state with limited industrial base is ambitious. The Apiculture and Honey Policy is a smart niche - Northeast honey has unique quality. Let's hope these don't remain just on paper.
Good to see focus on ease of doing business - removing duplicate licences for 56 categories will help small entrepreneurs. But honestly, the real test is whether these reforms reach the local chai wala or just benefit bigger players. Also hope the CM CARES healthcare initiatives are well-funded. TB elimination needs serious ground work in tribal areas.
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