The state budget for 2021-22 presented on Wednesday focused on health and education.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, also the finance minister while presenting the budget said, “This year, I have a difficult task to address the needs of aspirational Arunachal Pradesh to set a tone for high growth, while making sufficient resources available for the unfinished agenda of last year”.
Mein stated that the budget is controlled by health and wellbeing, reinvigorating human capital, inclusive development for ‘Aspirational Arunachal’, infrastructure, minimum government and maximum governance and innovation and research and development.
In his budget speech, he mentioned that the Health department deserves all praises for working tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
“This was a completely new learning experience for us. And let us not forget how in the initial days we were grappling for resources, such as sourcing PPE kits and testing equipment. The state has come a long way and developed a reasonably strong infrastructure in managing a pandemic like Covid,” he said.
Later talking to the press, he said that “finances have been affected by the pandemic.”
According to Mein, the budget was outcome-oriented and that there has been equitable distribution of resources.
Budget Highlights
# Rs 1895 crore has been earmarked for clearing old liabilities of SIDF and additional RE.
# Rs 180 crore has been allocated for catering to CCI projects.
# The allocation for Central Sector Schemes (CSS) has been increased by Rs 1000 crore.
# Mission to achieve Rs 5000 crore funds from Gol under various CSS.
Health & Wellness
# ‘Mission Health’ (Rs160 crore)
# Up gradation of the district hospitals from state plan, RIDF, NHM and NESIDS (Rs 450 crore)
# Total allocation in health sector, including centre and state to be Rs 600 crore.
# Health & Wellness Centers (Rs 8 crore)
# Doubling the present level of Institutional Delivery Points (Rs 10 crore)
# Up gradation of Bakin Pertin General Hospital, Pasighat to a 300-bedded hospital (Rs 5 crore)
# TRIHMS (Grant-in-aid – Rs 28 crore, gap funding – Rs 10 crore, for initiatives such as free chemotherapy, MRI and advanced technology equipment for diagnosis and installation of cath lab I – Rs 25 crore)
# To establish a 200-bedded hospital under RK Mission Hospital, Itanagar (Rs 20 crore)
Education
# ‘Mission Shiksha’ with an all-encompassing strategy to transform education in the next 2 years (Rs 200 crore over & above the normal departmental allocation this financial year)
# Converge all resources through normal plan, budget announcements, CSS and others so that a sum of Rs 1000 crore would be made available to the education department.
# Recruitment of teachers of all categories through the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.
o Operationalize a state-of-the-art digital studio in the state headquarters, which is to be connected to 101 senior secondary schools of the state in the first phase through VSAT for conducting e-classes. Phase II will cover 500 schools.
# Starting of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centers in 300 schools across the state (Rs 15 crore)
# 10 new Eklavya Model Residential schools (Rs 200 crore)
# Eight Model Residential schools under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) in next 3 years (Rs 284 crore)
# National Cadets Corps (NCC) Academy will be established in Arunachal very soon.
# Up gradation of infrastructure for at least one inter-village school in each district (Rs10 crore)
# Teachers’ training and exposure tours (Rs 15 crore)
# CM Samast Shiksha Yojana (CMSSY) will be continued (Rs 32 crore).
# A special provision for hiring faculty under CMSSY (Rs 4 crore)
# Promotion of tribal language and scripts ( Rs 3.5 crore)
# Infrastructure development under Mission Shiksha (Rs 51 crore)
# Operationalize Arunachal University at Pasighat (Rs 4 crore)
# Operationalize State Engineering College at Toru (Rs 5 crore)
# Improving infrastructure of schools adopted by civil society organizations ( Rs 5 crore)
# State will continue to support organizations like VKV, RKM etc and work in a collaborative mode to strengthen their infrastructure.
Agriculture
# Overall allocation to agriculture & allied sectors from state & central schemes – Rs 345 crore.
# ‘Atma Nirbhar Krishi Yojana’ (Rs 60 crore)
# ‘Atma Nirbhar Bagawani Yojana’ (Rs 60 crore)
# Nutritional kitchen gardens & cluster farming to receive focused attention in coming years.
# Establishment of Agriculture College in East Kameng district (Rs 2 crore)
# CM’s White Revolution Scheme ( Rs 7.5 crore)
# Arun Pig Development Scheme ( Rs 7.5 crore)
# Tapping the untapped potential from fisheries sector (Rs 19.5 crore with Rs 10 crore for Mukhya Mantri Neel Kranti Abhiyan)
Child, Women & Youth
# Construction of outdoor stadium at Chimpu, Tezu and Aalo (Rs 12 crore)
# Yuva Samanvay Karyakram & youth exchange programs ( Rs 4.5 crore)
# Adventure sports training centers to be set up in PPP to impart skills of adventure sports like paragliding, parasailing and white-water river rafting (Rs 5.5 crore)
# Grant-in-aid to Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society ( Rs 1 crore)
# Grant-in-aid to Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (Rs 2 crore).
# Construction of working women’s hostel in Itanagar (Rs 3 crore).
# Girl student’s health and hygiene scheme ( Rs 1.5 crore)
# Continuation of CM’s Social Security Scheme (Rs 50 crore)
# Installation of open gyms as part of Fit India Movement in 34 towns (Rs 3 crore)
Infrastructure
# 32% percentage of the budget will be spent for creation of capital assets.
# Additional allocation over and above Rs 3 crore as MLALADF for carrying out repairs of assets under social sector such as health and education (Rs 25 lakhs)
# Heliports at 5 locations, namely Ziro, Daporijo, Itanagar, Naharlagun, and Walong ( Rs 7 crore)
# Construction of civil terminal building at Mechukha ALG ( Rs 1.8 crore)
# Commencing fixed-wing aircraft operations in Arunachal Pradesh in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
# Reactivation of ALG in Anini and construct new ALG in Dirang.
# Converge the resources from CRIF and RIDF for the CM Road Development Plan in the year 2021-22
# Construction of 22 km Gohpur Tiniali-Jote two-lane road ( Rs 90 crore)
# Introduction of city bus services in the Capital Region.
# Providing 4G mobile connectivity to 1683 villages that are remotely located by 2022 under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan.
# Viability gap funding to telecom service providers for remote locations where providing digital connectivity becomes commercially unviable (Rs 5 crore)
# Infrastructure development of new districts (Rs 30 crore)
# Infrastructure development of 2 divisional headquarters (Rs 10 crore)
# Taking up development activities in non-BADP blocks (Rs 37 crore)
Towns & Cities
# The city of Itanagar and Pasighat will be receiving Rs 459 crore under FFC over a period of five years.
# Finance ongoing and new schemes in urban development, housing, and town planning (Rs 70 crore)
# To work with CBOs, NGOS, citizens and private sectors to address solid waste management issues of 31 towns (Rs 22 crore)
# Solid waste management in Capital complex (Rs 18 crore)
Rediscovering Tourism
# Model projects like Arunachal Tourism Village, Arunachal Adventure Zone and a pilot project on Caravan Tourism are to be implemented ( Rs 13 crore)
# To create an integrated framework of tourism promotion (Rs 8 lakhs to each district)
# Chief Minister’s Paryatan Yojana (CMPVY) and Chief Minister’s Paryatan Shiksha Yojana (CMPSY) will be continued (Rs 5 crore)
Border areas
# Three model villages on a pilot basis – one each in the border areas of Eastern, Central and Western Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 30 crore)
# Repair of foot suspension bridges for Border Guarding Forces (BGF) in border areas (Rs 5 crore)
# Border Villages illumination programme through mini & micro hydels (Rs 40 crore)
# Government of India has approved preparation of DPR for frontier highway.
# Allocation to the department of indigenous affairs for preserving the indigenous way of life increased to Rs 38 crore.
# Preservation of indigenous heritage centers in a phased manner (Rs 4 crore )
# Project of construction of tribal cultural centers will be continued (Rs 4 crore)
# Documentation of rich culture and traditions of tribes of Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 1.4 crore)
# Production of animated movies of folklores of tribes of Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 50 lakhs)
# Developing textbooks on Arunachal history and culture ( Rs 2 crore)
# Honorarium to registered indigenous priests (Rs 3 crore)
# Promote establishment of indigenous gurukul schools and indigenous prayer centers.
# Narottam Heritage and Cultural center (Rs 2 crore)
# Development of World War II memorial at Jairampur (Rs 1 crore)
Rural Arunachal
# Grants to local bodies as per the recommendations under the 15th Finance Commission to provide a major impetus for development through Panchayati Raj Institutions ( Rs 303 crore)
# CM’s Adarsh Gram Yojana will be continued (Rs 25 crore).
# Continuation of CM’s Rural Housing Scheme (Rs 4 crore)
# Promotion of self-help groups under ARSRLM (Rs 1 crore)
# 1375 km of roads under PMGSY-III to be taken up soon.
# Maintenance of the roads constructed under PMGSY (Rs 30 crore)
# Procurement of buses which will be used for public transport to ensure last mile connectivity (Rs 10 crore)
# Rs 100 Crore to PHED for drinking water supply over and above their normal budget allocation
Enduring peace and social order
# Up gradation and infrastructure development of PTC Banderdewa (Rs 4.54 crore)
# Strengthening of forensic wing under Arunachal Pradesh Police.
# Installation of artificial intelligence-based security surveillance at the three main check gates of #ur state, namely, Banderdewa, Hollongi & Gumto (Rs 70 Lakhs)
# Construction of central jail/ correctional home in Papumpare district (Rs 10 crore).
# Up gradation & construction of new judicial infrastructure (Rs 10 crore)
# Construction of new high court building (Rs 20 crore)
# Construction of new fire stations in the state (Rs 9 crore).
Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Ecosystem
# Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swavalamban Yojana (Rs 30 crore)
# Seed money and incubation support will be provided to the Top 31 winners of the Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Program.
# Arunachal Pradesh Start-Up Policy 2021 will be launched.
# Start up seed fund (Rs 10 crore)
# Chief Minister’s Yuva Kaushal Yojana will be continued (Rs 6.5 crore)
Augmenting Power
# Hydel connectivity (Rs 10 crore)
# Prepaid metering and setting up of IT cell in the department of power (Rs 10 crore)
# Street lighting from Chandranagar, Itanagar to Papu Nallah, Naharlagun (Rs 6.94 crore).
# Street lighting from Chandranagar to Hollongi Airport (Rs 7 crore)
# 100 LED solar high masts (Rs 5 crore)
Quotes of the day
“Adhyaksh mahoday, mera yeh supplementary question bhi hai aur yeh hamara question bhi hai.” – Tana Hali Tara.
“Khonsa is a beautiful place. Other government servants are serving there, but why cannot specialist doctors go there?” – Congress MLA Wanglin Lowangdong on doctors’ transfer-posting.
“Whenever I try to post doctors in Khonsa, doctors are reluctant to go to posting places and wherein we receive many letters and notes from ministers’ colleagues and MLAs requesting for retention or cancellation.” – Health Minister Alo Libang responding to Lowangdong’s question on posting of specialist doctors in Khonsa.
“Supreme Court kaun hota hai? Environment kaun hota hai? Admi ke liye hi toh hai na?” – Raga MLA Tarin Dakpe over declaration of Siki Putu and Gichi Lomdak areas as wildlife sanctuary; seeking de-reservation of wildlife forest.
“Where have doctors gone? You have been posted there; you should go.” – Lowangdong.
“Ek tu specialist bhej dene se thik hei.” – Balo Raja informing that there are only seven doctors in the entire Kra Daadi district.
“Cyclone mein udd geya.” – Agriculture Minister Tage Taki regarding incomplete centre of excellence in Jairampur with assurance that it would soon be taken up.
“De-notification ka process is lengthy.” – CM Pema Khandu responding to a question on de-reservation of reserve forest.