Dirang: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu kicked off the poll campaign for the Dirang Legislative Assembly Constituency on February 23. The Chief Minister was accompanied by incumbent and three-time Arunachal BJP President and Pakke-Kessang MLA Biyuram Wahge, Dirang MLA Purpa Tsering, Bomdila MLA Dongru Siongju, Khalaktang MLA Dorjee Wangdi Kharma and Thrizino MLA Kumsi Sidiso among several others.
Sounding the poll bugle in the constituency, Khandu inaugurated 28 completed projects in Dirang. Some of the projects include the road from Hamilton Bridge to Khasso Village, the road from Chung Bridge to Diet, the Science Centre & Planetarium at Dirang, the Khelo India Multipurpose Indoor Hall and the EWS Housing Project among several others. The rally also saw the handing over of one BHK apartment under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna to 320 beneficiaries.
Addressing the gathering, Tsering said that the election is the best thing our democracy has offered and should be celebrated as the Loshar Festival.
“Previous elections in Dirang used to see severe violence and even murders taking place. But it is for the leaders to stop such incidents. Moreover, we have been able to eradicate poll violence in Dirang,”
He also acknowledged the work done by the previous MLAs, including Tsering Gyurme, and that Dirang saw completion of several projects initiated during Gyurme’s tenure.
“I don’t want to play blame games, but what was the condition of Dirang 5 years ago? I feel proud to say that we now have a hospital that even gets patients from other districts. The list of developments is long and you all take pictures of all the developments that took place. If you find anything wrong, please file RTIs,” Tsering said.
He also applauded the “Sarkar Apke Dwar” a flagship programme of the state government aimed at maximising the last-mile delivery of services. Tsering also made the audience crack up when he said, “I am like Hanuman to Pema Khandu. Light my tail on fire and I will burn down Lanka to ashes for him. It does not matter if I am not re-elected but Pema Khandu should become the Chief Minister once again.”
The Chief Minister also took to the podium to address the gathering and said it was the largest gathering he had seen in Dirang. There were over 15,000 people in attendance during the rally.
Seeking re-election for the third time, Khandu appealed to the people to analyse the developments in the Northeast and Arunachal Pradesh since 2014. He adverted to sectors such as connectivity, agriculture, education, entrepreneurship and sports.
“In my first speech after being re-elected as the Chief Minister in 2019, I said that the 2019-2024 tenure of government is going to be the most crucial term. There was a time when it used to take two days to reach Tawang from Itanagar but now it barely takes five hours. Similarly, we have seen district connectivity, village circle connectivity and over the years.
Khandu also appealed to the public to travel to Vijay Nagar once it finally has road connectivity and will become a crucial tourist destination. He also mentioned areas such as Pipsorang, Mago and Taksing that have received road connectivity during his tenure.
“We have been working on a mission-mode since 2016, and connectivity is our priority. The Vibrant Village Program was recently launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and thousands of crores have been sanctioned for Arunachal under the program,” Khandu said, adding that agencies such as BRO and ITBP are working with the government to establish connectivity since it will boost agriculture, horticulture, education and employment. He also stated that Arunachal Pradesh is a resourceful state and steps are being taken to turn the resources to revenue.
He also added that the state witnessed an over two-fold increase in the state budget to ₹30,000 crore in 2024 from ₹12,533 crore in 2016. Khandu also touched upon the health sector and said that ₹500 crore has been invested in the developmental works. Works to improve PHCs have also been initiated.
“During my last term, Arunachal Pradesh saw the initiation of the first medical college of the state situated at Naharlagun –Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIMS) and in 2025 seats at the medical college will be increased to 100 seats from the current 50 seats so more aspiring doctors can be accommodated,” Khandu said.
Khandu stressed primary education as the foundation of a child’s future. He said that special measures are being taken to boost the Early Child Care Education (ECCE) System and over 700 ECCEs have been initiated along with Anwadi Centres across the state.
Election for the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held in or before April 2024 along with the Lok Sabha election. Tsering will be locking horns against Congress candidate and three-time MLA Tsering Gyurme.
It needs to be mentioned that Tsering was first elected as the MLA of Dirang in 2009 from the People’s Party of Arunachal. He was elected uncontested twice – in 2014 and 2019 after Gyurme withdrew his candidature.