Itanagar, Jan 22: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday termed the road that connects Pipsorang from Tali in the remote Kra Daadi district of the state as a ‘milestone’ achieved after 78 years.
Accompanied by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia, state Urban Development Minister Balo Raja, and others, Khandu travelled to Pipsorang to celebrate the connectivity.
Pipsorang was recently upgraded to a sub-divisional officer (SDO) headquarters. Tali assembly constituency was the only one in the state that lacked road access until Khandu’s visit in February 2022, where he opened the road to Tali, making history as the first chief minister to reach the area by road.
During that visit, Khandu also joined the Nyokum festivities in Tali, marking two milestones—the first chief minister to visit Tali by road and the first to participate in Nyokum celebrations there.
In 2022, Khandu announced his next goal - to travel by road from Tali to Pipsorang within the next couple of years.
Congratulating local legislator Jikke Tako, the Rural Works Department, the local administration, the contractor, and the people of Tali, Khandu urged them to ensure the completion of the project within one month.
The chief minister noted that gradient modifications and alignment changes were necessary to prevent steep climbs and sharp turns. He directed technical advisor to the state government K C Dhimole to assess, re-align, and complete the process within a month.
Khandu also instructed the executive engineer to monitor the progress constantly and visit the sites frequently. The assistant engineer in-charge of the project was directed to stay overnight on-site, overseeing the work, and junior engineers were tasked to camp at the locations and coordinate with the contractor until the project is completed.
Even though the road remains ‘kutcha,’ Khandu highlighted its immediate impact on connectivity for the people of Pipsorang and nearby villages.
“I assume 30 per cent work still remains for its completion, and I assure the people that it will be done within a month,” he said.
The 55-km road from Tali to Pipsorang is being executed by RWD under the PMGSY scheme. Khandu reiterated the government’s top priority of road connectivity, promising the approval and sanction of roads to yet-to-be-connected villages, as urged by the local MLA.
These include the Tali-Pipsorang road leading to Haa village, Nyobia to Keba, Ripum to Raha village, and the upgradation of roads from Roing to Lodo Kore village.
During his last trip to Tali in 2022, Khandu observed the poor condition of the stretch from the Joram-Koloriang Trans-Arunachal Highway to Yangte. He informed that funds had been sanctioned for its upgradation, which has now begun.
Khandu expressed hope to travel by road from Itanagar to Yangte-Tali, continuing to Pipsorang in the future. He also highlighted that around 1,300 villages across the state remain unconnected, assuring that efforts would continue to connect all these villages in the next few years.
Several projects worth Rs 515 crore are already ongoing in the assembly segment, with new sanctions worth Rs 44.50 crore announced. These include infrastructure creation for the Pipsorang SDO office, the development of administrative circles in Paya and Nyorik, and the construction of roads in Tali township.
Khandu further assured funds for the construction of an outdoor stadium in Tali to harness the sporting potential of local youth. He advised the local MLA to stay in the constituency and monitor all ongoing and upcoming projects to ensure quality and timely completion.
“If the local MLA is at station, officials and contractors will remain at station, ensuring smooth progress of the projects,” Khandu added.
Meanwhile, the chief minister inaugurated the newly constructed Boa Sango to Neomi road and a circuit house in Tali. He also laid foundation stones for several other road projects under the Vibrant Village Programme and CRIF, including the Tugmar to Guha road and others.