Arunachal's Hydropower Decade Fuels India's Clean Energy Vision

Unfurling the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day at Indira Gandhi Park here, the Governor said that the state government has declared 2025-2035 as the "Decade of Hydropower" and is formulating the Arunachal Pradesh Energy Vision 2047 to ensure sustainable and community-centric growth.

He said a major milestone has been achieved with the commencement of commercial operations of one 250 MW unit of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project, while the remaining units are expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, further enhancing the state's hydropower capacity.

The Governor noted that on September 22, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for the 186 MW Tato-I and 240 MW Heo hydropower projects, underscoring Arunachal Pradesh's critical role in India's renewable energy transition.

According to him, the state government is also working towards achieving 150 MW of rooftop solar capacity by 2030 under the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana', with priority being given to schools and government offices to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources.

Highlighting infrastructure development, Lt. General Parnaik (retd) said that air connectivity has been significantly strengthened with the inauguration of the new terminal at Donyi Polo Airport and the launch of daily direct flights between Itanagar and Delhi, along with regular services to Kolkata.

He said that Arunachal Pradesh marked 50 years of its Legislative Assembly in August 2025, reaffirming its democratic legacy.

Judicial infrastructure has also been strengthened with the inauguration of the Gauhati High Court's Itanagar Permanent Bench, marking 25 years of the judiciary in the state, along with the establishment of a modern Forensic Science Laboratory to ensure timely and credible justice.

On surface connectivity, he said mega projects such as the Rs 55,000 crore Frontier Highway and the Vibrant Villages Programme -- covering over 1,000 km of roads connecting more than 125 border villages -- are improving last-mile access, border security and national integration.

Phase II of the Vibrant Villages Programme has now been extended to villages along the India-Myanmar and India-Bhutan borders.

Stressing the importance of investment, the Governor said that at the Rising North East Investors Summit 2025, memoranda of understanding worth Rs 6,375 crore were signed, primarily focusing on green industries. He added that 29 industries have been registered under the UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialisation) scheme.

The Governor also said that women's empowerment and protection of vulnerable sections remain central to the state's inclusive growth agenda, with over 1.4 lakh women associated with more than 14,000 Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Fixed-deposit support has been extended to over 3,400 SHGs, while more than 10,600 'Lakhpati Didis' have been registered.

Referring to healthcare initiatives, he said the Chief Minister's Organ Transplant Scheme facilitated 51 life-saving transplants last year. Construction of the state cancer institute in Itanagar is underway, while patient support services have been strengthened through upgrades to the Arunachal Cancer Home in Mumbai and the inauguration of the Arunachal Patients' Guest House in Vellore.

The Governor said that over the past decade, Arunachal Pradesh has made significant economic progress, with the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growing 2.6 times and the state recording a 17 per cent increase in its own revenue during FY 2024-25. He added that citizen-centric governance remains a key reform priority, with initiatives such as 'Sarkar Aapke Dwar' and 'Seva Aapke Dwar 2.0' (government at your doorstep and service at your doorstep), delivering services directly to people through more than 1,100 outreach camps, benefiting over 15 lakh citizens, particularly in remote and border areas.

- IANS