Good bye – 2018, Hello 2019! – Yet another new year is about to dawns! The Sun’s rays in Arunachal Pradesh usher in another New Year 2019 and good bye to 2018.
Itanagar
Preceding year 2018 was mixed of many hits and misses. On the positive side, after every years of turmoil, the political scenario saw some solace of stability over the last few years. When the Pema Khandu BJP led Govt. ended its two years of successful tenure.
On the infrastructure front, the Six ALGs of Pasighat, Ziro, Aalo, Mechukha, Vijaynagar, Tuting and Tezu Airport only civilian airport were upgraded. First time in the history of aviation, an operation of civil flights ATR-42 services of the Alliance Air was flagged off by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on 21 May this year with much fanfare. A few small Hydro Power Projects were also commissioned in the state. The Trans Arunachal Highway in Eastern zone also progressed steadily with mega bridges of Lohit and Dibang dedicated to nation by Nitin Gadkari Union Minister of Road Transport & Highway on 20th Dec at Roing .
2018 also made much stride in health scenario, Arunachal’s first Medical College, the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) officially began with Chief Minister Pema Khandu handing out certificates of admission to the first batch of MBBS students at the institute’s ceremony hall here on 1st August. Simultaneously, the Chief Minister Pema Khandu on 23rd September launched the Chief Minister Aarogya Arunachal Yojana (CMAAY) to provide cashless treatment of Rs 5 lakhs per family per year which has brought a ray of hope for the BPL and marginalized villagers of Arunachal.
The year also made record in games and sports when the state inked superb record as Arunachal Pradesh finished third, behind champion Manipur and runner-up Assam, in the first North East Olympic Games (NEOG), which concluded here in Manipur on 28th Dec.
Arunachal bagged 18 gold, 20 silver and 38 bronze medals, while Manipur bagged 79 gold, 47 silver and 31 bronze medals. Assam won 45 gold, 52 silver and 41 bronze medals to finish runner-up.
The year 2018 will also remembered because of our Dambuk Orange has gone global. First consignment of oranges from Arunachal was flagged off on 2nd January from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to the Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi for Dubai.
The year also rejoiced over creation of three more districts when the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on 29th August passed the Arunachal Pradesh Re-Organization of Districts (Amendment) Bill, 2018, paving the way for creation of Pakke-Kessang, Lepa- Rada and Shi-Yomi districts in the state. Arunachal will have total 25 districts including these three districts.
The year also gifted Arunachal first Sainik School at Pasighat which was dedicated to the nation by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on 11th Sept.
This year Green Field Airport at Itanagar gets fresh hope for laying foundation stone by Narendra Modi PM on first week of January 2019. The year gets hype on the Chief Minister Sarkar Aapke Dwar (Administration at doorstep) which has brought many accolades where over 3.5 Lakhs beneficiaries were benefited directly.
Approaching the end of the year saw many controversies with allegations to BJP govt. on issue of PRC to Non – Tribal of Namsai and Changlang districts.
The New Year should be ushered in with new hope. The hope list includes connectivity of road, bridges, Rail & Airways as well as digital connectivity.
Under ‘Rising Arunachal’ campaign the year blessed for BJP govt., Pema Khandu led BJP’s good governance has swelled to development and progress in all sectors in two years of tenure.
However there were many misses in this early year especially appalling rape cases, the most horrifying rape and murder of a 13-year-old school girl in Chongkham circle of Namsai district, a five-year-old girl child who had gone missing since 12 February was found raped and murdered at Namgo Mishmi village in Wakro circle on 18th February.
Subsequently, angry mob lynched alleged rapists; 144 CrPC clamped in Tezu exposing utter failure of district administration and police to contain law & order scenario in the Lohit district.
Two more rape cases of minors have also surfaced at Daporijo and Yingkiong in Upper Subansiri and Upper Siang district. A 12-year-old Class – VI student was allegedly raped here at Daporijo on 3rd March 2018 that disgraced this year to the state most.
The year ratted with indefinite pen down strike called by the thousands of contractual teachers working under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) government-run primary and upper primary schools against the state government for non regularization of the teachers.
Also The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) hogged the limelight due to their ‘Pen & Tools Down’ democratic movement on 25 and 26 October demanding immediate implementation of allowances under the 7th Central Pay Commission and other entitled service benefits.
The year also hit the headlines due to unrest of aggrieved candidates reiterating their demand for re-conducting APPSCCE prelims especially with regards to commerce and other social science subjects in which they alleged huge anomalies.
Let’s hope for better roads, steady electric supply, more airports and civil flights, more railways, more industries, better performances of sports persons and more jobs. Let the New Year 2019 usher much stride in the pace of growth in Arunachal with better health care facilities and more HAPPINESS…!
