Itanagar, Apr 5 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday hailed his counterpart Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as a dynamic leader of the North East and a prominent figure in the country's political landscape, during the vibrant Mopin festival celebrations in Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district.
Addressing a massive gathering of the Galo community, CM Khandu expressed deep gratitude to Sarma for his gracious presence at the traditional harvest festival, stating, “His presence at Aalo amidst thousands of Galos in a sea of white exemplifies his affection for our state and its people.”
Khandu credited both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Sarma for transforming governance and accelerating development across the Northeast. “Since Modiji became Prime Minister and Himantaji took charge in Assam, the entire North East region has seen a remarkable shift. Assam, as a state, plays a significant role in the region. Whatever happens in Assam impacts us all,” he said.
Highlighting Sarma’s efforts in restoring peace, Khandu emphasized that insurgency, which plagued Assam for decades and spilled into Arunachal Pradesh, has almost ended.
“With insurgency gone, we are all witnesses to the tremendous developmental works going on not only in Assam but in all the northeastern states,” Khandu observed.
He also hailed the ‘Advantage Assam’ initiative of the Assam Government, describing it as a game changer for the region. “As Assam is being portrayed as an investment hub, other states of the region will also benefit as investors would like to expand their businesses in the region,” Khandu noted.
Referring to the historic ‘Namsai Declaration’ signed on July 15, 2022, Khandu acknowledged Sarma’s proactive leadership in resolving the decades-old boundary dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
“With Himantaji’s cooperation almost all boundary issues have been resolved except for few pockets, where (regional) committees from both the states will revisit. We are optimistic that these will too be resolved soon,” Khandu added while expressing gratitude to Assam CM on behalf of the state’s people.
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member (CEM) Dr Tuliram Ronghang accompanied the Assam CM to the Mopin celebrations.
Meanwhile, in a significant development boost for Aalo, CM Khandu announced sanction of Rs 15 crore for the construction of a daily market shed and Rs 10 crore for a multi-storied parking lot at the district headquarters, underscoring his government's commitment to urban infrastructure development.
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