Arunachal Pradesh will be India’s richest state in 7–8 years: Rijiju
He added that the Upper Siang project is a strategic initiative, vital for national security & regional development
Itanagar, June 11: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that Arunachal Pradesh is on a fast track of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He projected that the State would become the “richest in the country” within the next seven to eight years if the current momentum is maintained.
Addressing a gathering in Itanagar to mark completion of 11 years of the Modi-led NDA Government, alongside Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and State BJP president Kalling Moyong, the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs highlighted the transformative changes brought to the frontier State in the last decade and said it was time to accelerate progress.
On the contentious Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, Rijiju reiterated its status as a strategic necessity and a vital initiative vital for both national security and regional development.
“This is not just a power project; it is essential for managing water resources and countering China’s hydropower developments upstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river,” he pointed out.
“This project is vital not just for power but also for flood control in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and even Bangladesh,” he said, underlining the broader regional impact.
The Union minister warned of the potential threat posed by Chinese engineering capabilities. “China has the capacity to divert rivers and build 1,000-km-long tunnels. That is the level of risk we face,” Rijiju cautioned.