Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid foundation stones for projects worth over ₹5,100 crore in Arunachal Pradesh, including two major hydropower plants in Shi Yomi district bordering China.
The Heo (240 MW) and Tato-I (186 MW) projects, with a combined cost of more than ₹3,700 crore, are planned on the Siyom sub-basin. The government said they are expected to boost sustainable energy generation while creating socio-economic benefits for the region.
The projects come amid ongoing protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). Earlier this year, residents in three districts opposed surveys for the project, citing environmental concerns and the deployment of central paramilitary forces. The Centre has argued that the SUMP would counter the risks posed by a mega Chinese dam being built across the border on the Siang River. In December, China approved what is expected to become the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Tibetan plateau, raising concerns about downstream impacts in India and Bangladesh.
Modi said his visit to Arunachal was special for three reasons. “I got to see such beautiful mountains on the first day of Navratri...Secondly, the next generation GST reforms have come into force from today [Monday], and development projects [for which foundation stones were laid],” he said.
He criticised the Congress for neglecting the northeast. “We have increased budget allocation for the region manifold...Since the BJP came to power at the Centre, Union ministers have visited the northeast over 800 times, and I have come here over 70 times,” he said. Modi highlighted work done in around 450 villages in Arunachal near the border with China, including new roads, electricity, and internet access.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of a convention centre at Tawang and other infrastructure projects worth more than ₹1,290 crore. In Itanagar, he interacted with traders during the “Bachat Utsav” linked to GST rationalisation.
Separately, Modi was scheduled to inaugurate development work at the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Complex in Tripura’s Matabari. The project includes new pathways, renovated entrances, a drainage system, and a three-storeyed facility with stalls, a meditation hall, guest accommodation, and office spaces.
BI Bureau
