Itanagar, Aug 18 : Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Monday urged members of the assembly to take a pledge to work towards making the state developed by 2047.
Participating in a discussion during a special session of the assembly on its golden jubilee celebration, Mein said the state government under Chief Minister Pema Khandu is committed to tapping the immense potential of the state to make it developed by 2047.
“The state government is working in this line through the mantras of reform, perform and transform. We have brought many reforms in governance with political will for a ‘swachh’ (clean), ‘swasthya’ (healthy), ‘sikshit’ (educated), ‘sashakt’ (empowered) and ‘sundar’ (beautiful) Arunachal,” Mein said.
He highlighted key ongoing and completed projects, stating that the government is working hard to accelerate development of the northeastern state.
“Today, we are here to discuss our 50 years of glorious chronicle of the assembly, the journey of which reflects the toil of all the former chief ministers and members. The state witnessed massive development in the last 50 years due to contributions of all the former and present lawmakers of the state,” he added.
Mein further noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took various initiatives to honour freedom fighters and contributors to the nation’s growth.
“Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is one such movement under which the state government identified more than 220 unsung heroes of the state who made sacrifices for the country’s Independence. Tiranga Yatra is another movement launched by the PM to honour the freedom fighters,” he said.
The deputy chief minister, who has served as a lawmaker for the last 30 years, recalled that the first session of the Provisional Legislative Assembly began on August 18, 1975, with only 33 members.
The present 60-member house, he said, stands as testimony to the 50-year journey of evolution.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said that the assembly, since its inception, had conducted 137 sessions covering 457 days of business.
“The assembly has, so far, witnessed 18 members being appointed as Speakers and 20 as deputy speakers, with Nokmey Namati as the first Speaker. The present building is one of the best in the country and the main purpose of the assembly is to enact laws for the benefit of the people and the state,” Sona said.
He claimed that Arunachal Pradesh is the only state where assembly sessions are held without any disruption.
“We play development politics within the House, which is unique in nature and every member contributed to the growth of the assembly,” he noted.
Joining the discussion, NCP member Toko Tatung said the evolution of the state from a remote tribal tract to a full-fledged Indian state is of strategic importance.
“The former leaders have made the assembly a ground to speak for the people. It is not the building but the people who represented it, to make the assembly better,” Tatung observed.
People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) legislative party leader Oken Tayeng lauded the sacrifices of former leaders who shaped the assembly, while NPP legislator Thangwang Wangham described it as “a living chronicle of the state’s evolution”.
“The visions of the former leaders have laid the foundation of the assembly from ancient traditions to the modern democratic system, which is the uniqueness of our political history and a pride for us,” Thangwang added.
Congress MLA Kumar Waii, the lone member from his party, called for equitable development of all constituencies, cautioning that without it, the vision of a ‘Viksit Arunachal’ (developed Arunachal) would remain a distant dream.
Former chief ministers, including the first CM P K Thungon, as well as former ministers and MLAs, also attended the special session.
A documentary tracing the assembly’s journey was screened, while Governor Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik released the Golden Jubilee souvenir and a commemorative journal. PTI
