Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik on Monday said the state has made significant progress across key sectors, including economic growth, infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare and education, positioning itself as a major contributor to inclusive and self-reliant development, particularly in border and remote areas.
Addressing the 77th Republic Day celebration after unfurling the national flag at I G Park here, the governor said Arunachal Pradesh’s strategic location, rich cultural heritage and abundant natural resources give it an important role in India’s broader journey towards growth, security and self-reliance. He noted that the state has advanced with renewed confidence, guided by outcome-oriented governance and stronger institutional frameworks.
Parnaik highlighted that Arunachal Pradesh has recorded substantial economic gains over the past decade, with the Gross State Domestic Product growing 2.6 times and the state’s own revenue registering a 17 per cent increase during the 2024–25 financial year. He said governance reforms have shifted the focus from scheme-driven delivery to predictable, system-based and results-oriented administration, rooted in economic growth, human development and ecological responsibility.
Emphasising that people remain the state’s greatest asset, the governor said human capital continues to form the foundation of policy planning and development initiatives. He noted major expansion in healthcare services, with more than 2.2 lakh families now covered under cashless treatment through the Chief Minister’s Arogya Arunachal Yojana and the PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
He said medical education and tertiary healthcare are being strengthened through the doubling of MBBS seats at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), along with the introduction of new postgraduate and super-specialty programmes. New medical colleges are also being developed in Pasighat, Namsai and West Kameng.
The governor said mental healthcare has received focused attention through initiatives such as the Mukhiya Mantri Manasikh Swastha Yojana and Tele-MANAS. He added that the Chief Minister’s Organ Transplant Scheme facilitated 51 life-saving transplants last year, while work is underway on the State Cancer Institute. Patient support outside the state has also been strengthened through the Arunachal Cancer Home in Mumbai and a new patients’ guest house in Vellore.
On the education front, Parnaik said Mission Shikshit Arunachal 2029 has been launched in line with the National Education Policy 2020, with a focus on foundational literacy and numeracy, improved secondary-level performance and the development of 21st-century skills.
Highlighting the strategic importance of infrastructure in a border and mountainous state, the governor said Arunachal Pradesh is also emerging as a key player in India’s clean energy future, with 1.2 GW of hydropower capacity already operational and another 4.8 GW under construction. He described the commencement of commercial operations of one 250 MW unit of the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project as a major milestone, with the remaining units expected to be commissioned by the end of the year.
Parnaik announced that the period from 2025 to 2035 has been declared the “Decade of Hydropower”, with an Energy Vision 2047 being formulated to ensure sustainable and community-oriented growth.
He said road connectivity has expanded significantly over the past decade, with the road network tripling and annual construction increasing from about 300 km to over 1,800 km. More than 4,000 km of national highways are currently under construction, while flagship initiatives such as the Rs 55,000-crore Frontier Highway and the Vibrant Villages Programme are improving last-mile connectivity, border security and national integration, including in villages along the Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bhutan borders.
The governor said infrastructure-led reforms have led to marked improvements in living standards, citing the completion of over 35,000 rural houses under PMAY-Gramin to achieve full saturation and the provision of Functional Household Tap Connections to more than 3.2 lakh rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
In the agriculture sector, he noted steady growth in food grain production, income support to over 1.14 lakh farmers under PM-KISAN, expanded soil testing facilities and increased oil palm cultivation to promote diversification and higher farm incomes.
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Placing the state’s progress in a national context, Parnaik said this year’s Republic Day holds special significance as it marks the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram. He paid tribute to the Constitution of India, describing it as the living foundation and moral compass of the Republic, and urged citizens to actively participate in reforms, environmental protection and social harmony to help build an eco-conscious, inclusive and resilient Arunachal Pradesh.
