ITANAGAR, Sept 9: Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday described Arunachal Pradesh as integral to India’s unity and the Northeast as a key driver of the country’s growth, aided by the Centre’s Act East policy.
Addressing a special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Itanagar, Radhakrishnan said Arunachal Pradesh stood as a “proud guardian” of India’s borders and its development was closely linked to the country’s progress.
He described the State as culturally rich with “boundless potential” and highlighted its natural resources and biodiversity.
Radhakrishnan said successive governments had accorded increasing priority to the Northeast, recalling that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had established the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East policy and his description of the eight northeastern states as ‘Ashta-lakshmi’ reflected the region’s potential. More than ₹6,800 crore had been allocated to the DoNER Ministry in this year’s Union Budget, he added.
Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh’s development, Radhakrishnan said the State had around 79 per cent forest cover and rich biodiversity, forests, rivers and ecological resources important for India’s environmental security and climate resilience.
He also said Arunachal Pradesh had emerged as the country’s largest producer of kiwi fruit, while more than one lakh soil health cards had been issued to farmers. The State’s per capita income had more than doubled, while road construction had reached around 1,800 km a year, he added.
