Good infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh vital for national security: President Droupadi Murmu

GUWAHATI: President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said good infrastructure in strategically important Arunachal Pradesh is vital for national security as well for the economic development of the state.


China, which borders Arunachal Pradesh in the north and northeast, claims many parts of the state, including Tawang, as its own territory. The state was the theater of the Sino-India war of 1962.

Speaking on the occasion of the 37th Statehood Day on Monday, Murmu said she was happy that the Centre has sanctioned schemes worth over Rs 44,000 crore for the development of the national highway infrastructure in the state.

'Arunachal plays key role in India's development'

Addressing the civic reception hosted in her honour by the state government in Itanagar, the President said, "Being the largest state in the northeastern region in terms of area as well as being a border state, Arunachal Pradesh is very important from the strategic and geographical point of view. Good infrastructure is essential for national security and the economic development of the state."

Stating that Arunachal has become a power-surplus state with the commissioning of the 600MW Kameng Hydro Power Station, Murmu expressed confidence that the Donyi Polo Airport would improve connectivity and boost trade and tourism here. She said she was happy to know that about 47% of the representatives of panchayats in Arunachal Pradesh are women. "Women of Arunachal are achieving success in every field," Murmu said, hoping that women from across the country take inspiration from the likes of Anshu Jamsenpa, who is the first woman to summit Mount Everest twice in five days, and Tage Rita Takhe, who is promoting women's participation in enterprise and taking local agro-based products of Arunachal to the international market.