Itanagar, Sep 22 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stones of 13 development projects worth over Rs 5,127 crore in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital, Itanagar and will address a mega public meeting at Indira Gandhi Park here on Monday, officials said.

A senior official said the 13 infrastructure projects include two major hydro power projects with a total generation capacity of 426 MW, and both projects would be commissioned by the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).

According to the 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.

After a two-day visit to Mizoram, Manipur and Assam on September 13–14, the Prime Minister is visiting Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura on Monday. Security has been beefed up in the capital city, Itanagar and the outskirts ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.

Taking to his official X account, PM Modi on Sunday night said: “22nd September, is a very important day for the development of the Northeast. During a programme in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, will launch key projects linked to energy, connectivity, healthcare and more. The foundation stone would be laid for two mega hydropower projects. Later, in Udaipur, Tripura, will inaugurate development works at the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple Complex.”

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in a post on X, had said: “Never before has Arunachal seen such consistent attention from a Prime Minister, showing real care for the dreams and development of our people. Eager to welcome Hon’ble PM Modi Ji as he inaugurates and lays the foundation for key projects, and witnesses the transformative impact these initiatives will bring to every corner of Arunachal,” the CM had said.

A senior official in Itanagar said that the Prime Minister will also virtually lay the foundation stone for 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.

The total project cost of the two hydroelectric projects is Rs 3,689 crore (Rs 1,750 crore and Rs 1939 crore), and the total annual generation capacity will be 1803 million units. 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.

He said that PM Modi will also virtually inaugurate 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 has approved 10 infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,291 crore. He will also lay 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.

From Itanagar, the Prime Minister will visit Tripura on Monday.

–IANS

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