What is it about Arunachal Pradesh that makes it worth visiting?

If this question was raised a decade ago, the probable answer would be along the lines of it being one of the wonders of Northeast India, forming a part of the Himalayan ranges and the unique culture of the people about the diverse spread of indigenous tribes calling it home. The land of the dawn-lit mountains, as it is fondly known, is also home to nature’s abundance in all forms of flora and fauna, making it a rich biodiversity hotspot.

All of these things still hold true. But a lot has changed in the past couple of years, and there’s a lot more to the state today if we’re to cover all the factors making it worth a visit.

Today, Arunachal Pradesh is one of those prominent states in India that continues to strengthen its infrastructural pillars across various domains, such as connectivity, healthcare, employment, and so on. And as such, the state’s Annual Budget for the Financial Year 2023-24 which was recently passed by the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly on March 10, 2023, becomes another significant chapter added to the development story of the state.

In a conversation with the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. Chowna Mein ji, we talk about various aspects that shaped the state budget 2023-24, and how it plans to uplift Arunachal Pradesh in the next one year.

1. What considerations did you have in mind when crafting the budget?

Deputy Chief Minister: We want to ensure that every individual and household is exposed to a higher standard of living, while collectively contributing to the state’s economic growth.

In order to achieve the same, we held several interactions with community-based organizations to identify key areas where priority focus is needed and also undertook ground-level assessments before preparing the agenda for the budget of 2023-24.

2. This year’s state budget is based on the six pillars of Governance Reforms & Prudent Financial Management; Synergy & Convergence; Investment in Health; Investment in Human Capital; Atmanirbhar Arunachal Pradesh; and Environment Protection & Climate Resilient Development. How will it impact the State's economic growth?

Deputy Chief Minister: Since the FY 2015-16, Arunachal Pradesh has registered an 86% growth in GSDP. Taking this growth even further, we have dedicated the Annual Budget to Atma-Nirbharta (self-reliance) through Youth Aspirations and Livelihood Opportunities.

We are consciously investing in all vital aspects, including but not limited to the state’s connectivity infrastructure, health & education, energy generation, sports, entrepreneurship development, tourism upliftment, and so on; for the purpose of ample job creation and improved standard of living.

Our end goal is towards becoming a self-reliant developed state by the year 2047 when India will be at 100, and Arunachal at 75.

3. What measures are being taken to mitigate the potential environmental impacts of the Dibang hydro project?

Deputy Chief Minister: Comprehensive mitigation measures in the form of environmental flow releases have been designed to ensure that the ecological needs of the river are met. The project's primary objective is to serve flood control and is based on storage. Once built, the 278-meter-tall dam will be the tallest in India.

4. It has been noted that Arunachal Pradesh is one of the few states in India to record a consistent rise in positive GST collections. What is the government’s approach to doubling the revenue this year?

Deputy Chief Minister: People in Arunachal Pradesh have a strong will towards becoming self-reliant. Some have focused on agri-based businesses, whereas others are creating an emerging startup ecosystem, and a few are opting for alternate career options in innovative fields such as sports, arts & culture. GoAP is pushing them forward by actively investing in the creation of new market linkages, building upgraded infrastructures, and offering hand-holding support & financial aid to the businesses for ensuring their growth and profitably.

In addition, initiatives such as e-Agbari (launched last year), along with upfront payment of excise duty, import fee, etc. have substantially augmented revenue collection in the state.

5. What are the key components of the Arunachal Pradesh Goods tax (amendment) bill, 2023? How will it help the state in its economic development?

Deputy Chief Minister: The amended bill will facilitate smooth & hassle-free tax administration in the state and enable a single-point taxation system to bring down the number of taxpayers compared to the present system. This will also ensure the prevention of revenue leakage by means of advance payment, and enable us to make a giant leap in revenue collection after its implementation.

6. Concluding with a final question - from a public perspective, what changes can people expect to see in the state through the implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Annual Budget 2023-24?

Deputy Chief Minister: The infrastructure boost in the state (roads & bridges, enhanced border security, air connectivity, etc) is a very visible development under the leadership of our Honourable Chief Minister Shri Pema Khanduji. A pleasant outcome of this has also been to witness reverse migration to the border villages of Arunachal Pradesh.

We are also ensuring the preservation of our cultural roots & languages (research on the state’s unsung heroes, establishing indigenous learning centers & prayer halls, etc.), uplifting the sports infrastructure (enabling aspiring youths to pursue sports as a career), as well as strengthening the entrepreneurship sector in the state.

GoAP is actively extending support to ensure continued growth in all areas. But most importantly, it’s the people's participation in the state which is on the rise and has served to be truly instrumental in our progress so far.