Khandu urges Centre to remove communication bottleneck

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has underlined connectivity as the biggest hurdle for development in the state and urged the Centre to remove communication bottleneck.
Attending the first review meeting of the Indo-China border infrastructure chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Gangtok yesterday, Khandu specifically raised concern over migration of people away from the border areas due to lack of basic public facilities and called for steps to prevent it, an official release informed here today.
He appreciated Delhi's initiative to build a frontier highway in the state connecting 11 districts bordering China.
He said the highway would immensely benefit the border people as well benefit the defence personnel for movement along the borders.

The chief minister said development came very late to Arunachal and sought the Centre's continued support as the state is 100 per cent dependent on it.
On state government's support to central paramilitary forces, the chief minister informed the home minister that the state cabinet has decided to grant Rs 50 lakh instead of earlier Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for those central forces jawans martyred while on duty in Arunachal.

He also informed that for those jawans left physically disabled in action would be granted Rs 10 lakh instead of earlier amount of Rs 1 lakh.
Khandu specifically thanked the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for having good relation with the Arunachali people and conducting various programmes such as health camp in building trust among people towards the defence forces.

He thanked Singh for deciding to shift the frontier ITBP headquarters from Shillong to Itanagar and demanded a battalion headquarters in the state capital, the release added.