George Kurian, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, visited Itanagar on February 18 to discuss the Union Budget 2025-26 during a seminar attended by BJP workers, bureaucrats, councillors, and entrepreneurs. During the event, MoS Kurian praised Itanagar’s road infrastructure, comparing it favorably to his home state of Kerala. He outlined key achievements for Arunachal under various central government schemes.Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, 1.5 lakh toilets have been built, while 35,500 homes were completed under the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, with 8,000 nearing completion.
LPG connections were provided to 54,000 people under the Ujjwala Yojana, and 8.4 lakh beneficiaries received food assistance through the PM Anna Kalyan Yojana. Additional milestones included enrollment of 9,000 families under the Kisan Yojana and Ayushman Bharat’s coverage of 1.5 lakh beneficiaries. Tourism initiatives received significant funding, including ₹146 crore under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and ₹87 crore under the Prasad Scheme. A ₹14-crore allocation was made for the Nacho Expedition.
Development funds were earmarked for Smart Cities in Itanagar and Pasighat, along with the construction of a cancer institute. The government also approved 2,605 towers for 4G connectivity, with ₹2,675 crore allocated. Eight new Navodaya Vidyalayas are planned in Upper Subansiri, Kra Daadi, and Siang districts. MoS Kurian emphasized Arunachal’s growing financial independence, noting that tax evolution increased from ₹5,749 crore under the UPA government to ₹1,06,448 crore in 2024.
