Itanagar, Sep 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone for 13 development projects worth over Rs 5,127 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.

Of the 13 infrastructure projects laid virtually during an event at the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar, two major hydro power projects with a total generation capacity of 426 MW would be commissioned by the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).

According to a state government official, these two power projects, having an estimated cost of over Rs 3,700 crore, are being developed by NEEPCO in a joint venture with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The two projects are the 186-MW generation capacity Tato-I hydroelectric project and the 240-MW generation capacity Heo hydroelectric project over the Yarjep River in Shi Yomi district, and the total annual generation capacity will be 1803 million units.

The Prime Minister also addressed a big public meeting at the Indira Gandhi Park in the capital city.

Before attending the main event at the Indira Gandhi Park, PM Modi visited an exhibition and interacted with local traders, craftspersons and artisans. Local products were displayed in the exhibition.

After the commissioning of the two power plants, the state will get free power worth over Rs 98 crore and Local Area Development Fund of over Rs 16 crore every year for community development, the official said.

PM Modi also virtually laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art integrated convention centre at Tawang. The convention centre would be built for Rs 147 crore. Besides holding meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, the proposed integrated convention centre will facilitate livelihood opportunities in tourism, services and handicrafts, the official pointed out.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for 10 infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,291 crore. The infrastructure projects also include the 1,830-km Frontier Highway project and the second phase of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP).

According to the official, the proposed Frontier Highway project will run parallel to the McMahon Line, from Bomdila in West Kameng district to Vijaynagar in Changlang district. The ambitious highway will boost national security and greatly facilitate border connectivity, he said.

After the completion of the second phase of the VVP, 122 border villages will get all-weather roads, 4G telecom network, and on-grid electrification.

Of the 122 villages, 67 are located along the India-Myanmar border, and 55 are along the India-Bhutan border with Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had sanctioned Rs 2,205 crore for the VVP. The VVP would help in the comprehensive development of the villages located in the blocks abutting international land borders (ILBs), other than the Northern border already covered under VVP-I.

With a total outlay of Rs 6,839 crore, the programme shall be implemented in select strategic villages in the states/UTs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal till the FY 2028-29.

The objective of the programme is to create better living conditions and adequate livelihood opportunities to ensure prosperous and safe borders, control trans-border crime and assimilate the border population with the nation and inculcate them as "eyes and ears of the border guarding forces", crucial for internal security.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt. General (Retd) K.T. Parnaik, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, state Assembly Speaker Tesam Pongte, Lok Sabha Member Tapir Gao, and Rajya Sabha Member Nabam Rebia, among others, were present at the event.

(IANS)

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