Union Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed the Namsai aspirational district programme with Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Namsai MLA Chau Zingnu Namchoom, Tezu MLA Karikho Kri and Planning Commissioner Prashant Lokhande on Sunday.

The union minister said that the Centre is working with the vision of developing the border states and efforts are being made to ensure that there is no shortage in the infrastructure development in the border areas.

He also advocated imparting skill development training to the youths and encouraging healthy competition among schoolchildren.

Yadav commended the state government for being the first to adopt the climate change declaration, and assured to “look into any important project, if pending due to environmental issues, in the ministry.”

Lauding DCM Mein for his initiatives to preserve and promote indigenous cultures and his efforts for recognition of unsung heroes of the state Yadav urged the participants to “adopt holistic developmental approach together with cultural development, sports events and fair distribution of government schemes.”

“Namsai should rise from an aspirational district to one of the best districts,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein proposed a forest reserve diversion from already existing villages and towns stating that 82 percent of the total area of the district falls under forest reserve notified area.

Citing “stringent conditions and prolonged forest clearance process” as the main hurdles to developmental activities, DCM Mein informed that “the Khamtis settled in Namsai and Chongkham areas since 1751, while it was notified as forest reserved much later, in 1936.”

Describing hydropower as the “biggest potential of the state,” he said that it would become “the biggest revenue earner for Arunachal Pradesh in the near future.”

He further informed the minister that Namsai is growing very fast, especially in tourism sector, because of its good road connectivity and central location to many tourist spots and pilgrimage sites like Parshuram Kund, Glow Lake, Namdhapa National Park, Bismaknagar, Dong village, etc, which are easily accessible from Namsai. 

He informed that the weekly average tourist footfalls in the district is 5,000, and the district records more than two lakh tourist footfalls annually.

Yadav later inspected the ongoing construction of the district hospital here, and laid the foundation stone of the mother and child health wing of the hospital.

He also visited the drug de-addiction centre run by the Women Welfare Society of Chongkham and interacted with them and the inmates. He also visited Parshuram Kund and inspected the ongoing works under the PRASAD scheme. 

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