Itanagar: The North Eastern Council has completed infrastructure and development projects worth Rs 82.41 crore in Arunachal Pradesh and released nearly Rs 15 crore more for rural connectivity, healthcare and education projects between July and Aug.The projects, taken up under the NEC scheme and NESIDS-Roads, focus on development in the state’s eastern Himalayan terrain, according to a report from the directorate of information and public relations on Friday.Among the major healthcare projects is the upgrade of the 40-bed hospital at Likabali in Lower Siang district at a cost of Rs 14.38 crore. The facility includes a modular operation theatre, maternity wards and a blood bank, aimed at reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for specialised care.Education and community infrastructure projects included new student hostels in Roing and Tawang, along with development works in various community blocks.The NEC also completed a 200-hectare bamboo plantation project on fallow land in Tadin village in West Siang district and an orange-cardamom cultivation project in Nacho circle in Upper Subansiri district. The projects are intended to provide alternatives to shifting cultivation. The Tissa View Point in Tirap district was also developed to support ecotourism.Connectivity projects included two road corridors worth Rs 39.29 crore. These include a 7.2-km double-lane road linking Pokriana SDO headquarters in Lower Siang district, expected to benefit more than 16,000 residents, and a road link connecting Kodum circle with West Siang, Leparada, Siang and Shi-Yomi districts.The NEC also released nearly Rs 15 crore for ongoing projects, including indigenous language preservation, an organic turmeric processing unit in Pakke Kessang and the Leyaka Pass road in Anini for winter mobility.Research grants were also provided to Rajiv Gandhi University and NERIST for studies on the Vibrant Villages Programme, artificial intelligence and bamboo-based radar-absorbent materials.
