Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh government
has requested the Centre to provide a special package to the
state during the 12th Plan period to boost the agriculture
sector.
Participating in a pre-budget meeting convened by
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi yesterday,
state Finance and Planning Minister Chowna Mein called for
allocation of a suitable fund, over and above the normal
schematic provision, in the forthcoming general budget to
support Arunachal to take care of the special problems of the
border areas, official sources said here today.
Mein urged the union government to evolve a special
mechanism to promote industry in the north-east and create a
tourism development fund for growth in the states of the
region.
"One of the special category states, Arunachal Pradesh
is solely dependent on central assistance for plan investment
because of its poor resources base, besides several other
constraints such as lack of adequate private investment, long
border area, weak market economy and inadequate
infrastructure," the minister said.
"The presence of industries in our state is
negligible. Due to lack of road, rail and air connectivity in
the state as well as remoteness, hilly, rugged and
inaccessible terrains, the cost of materials to be used for
creation of infrastructure is much higher as compared to other
states in the plain areas," Mein pointed out.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 13:41