Nyapin, Feb 17: The state Cabinet, chaired by chief minister Pema Khandu, has approved several key bills and policies aimed at strengthening governance, streamlining welfare schemes, and accelerating the state’s socio-economic development.
The meeting, held at Nyapin in Kurung Kumey district on Monday, discussed and authorized 38 agenda items, the highest ever in the state’s history for a single sitting.
One of the most significant decisions was the approval of the Arunachal Pradesh Arun Parivar Patra Authority Bill, 2025, which aims to create a family-centric citizen database to ensure efficient delivery of government schemes and services.
The bill, once passed, will help streamline welfare benefits and eliminate discrepancies in public service distribution, a statement from the chief minister's office said.
In a step toward evidence-based policymaking, the cabinet also approved the establishment of the Institute for Transforming Arunachal (ITA), which will serve as the state’s think tank, providing research-backed policy recommendations.
The ITA, to be housed under the Finance, Planning & Investment Department, is modeled after NITI Aayog and will play a crucial role in shaping State Vision@2047 while aligning with India Vision@2047. It is expected to drive governance transformation, economic growth, and innovation in the state.
The cabinet also cleared amendments to the Arunachal Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act to incorporate necessary legislative changes. Additionally, to regulate and curb unauthorized encroachment of government lands, it approved the Arunachal Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 2003, while designating officers of deputy commissioner rank and above as appellate authorities for appeals against eviction orders.
Another significant move was the introduction of the Arunachal Pradesh Handloom and Handicrafts Policy 2024, aimed at revitalizing the handloom and handicraft sector by establishing a digital database of artisans and weavers.
The policy also enhances cash awards for exceptional craftsmanship, increasing the first prize from ?75,000 to ?1,00,000 and the second prize from ?65,000 to ?75,000.
In a bid to strengthen child welfare and protection, the government sanctioned 270 contractual posts for immediate operationalisation of Child Helpline Services at the state and district levels under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme, the statement said.
The cabinet also took steps to improve public safety by approving the establishment of five new fire stations at Raga (Kamle district), Yupia (Papum Pare), Boleng (Siang), Lemmi (Pakke Kessang), and Tato in Shi Yomi district, along with the creation of 90 new posts for fire service personnel.
To enhance legal proceedings and ensure efficient prosecution of cases, the government approved the creation of the Directorate of Prosecution, which will function under the home department and be headed by a Director of Prosecution.
Alongside this, 84 new posts were sanctioned to strengthen the directorate’s functioning.
In another decision, the cabinet approved the recruitment of 25 scientific assistants and laboratory assistants for five mobile forensic vans to improve forensic investigations in criminal cases.
The meeting also addressed concerns regarding project execution inefficiencies and financial accountability.
The government decided to wind up isolated engineering wings and assign engineering departments for better project monitoring, timely execution, and financial prudence.
Recognizing the need to develop world-class athletes, the government approved the Mission Olympics, under which athletes will have access to top-tier training facilities, expert coaching, nutritional support, and performance monitoring systems to prepare them for competitive events, including the olympics.
With 2024-25 declared as the ‘Year of Youth’, the cabinet approved the Arunachal Pradesh Youth Policy, which outlines a comprehensive vision for youth development, including education, healthcare, employment generation, and skill development.
Nine key youth development goals have been identified, focusing on ensuring quality education, holistic well-being, and sustainable employment opportunities, the statement said.
In the sports sector, the cabinet decided to institutionalize two state-level championships as annual calendar events, the Late Kalikho Pul Memorial State Table Tennis Championship and the Late Jambey Tashi Memorial State-Level Tug of War Championship.
A major boost for the welfare of girl children came with the revamp of the Dulari Kanya Scheme.
The scheme, which previously provided ?20,000 as a fixed deposit at the birth of a girl child, has been enhanced to ?30,000 at birth and an additional ?12,000 on admission to Class XI, bringing the total benefit to ?50,000 per beneficiary.
Several development projects were also approved for Kurung Kumey district, including the creation of new administrative headquarters at Panyu and the upgradation of Parsi Parlo to an independent ADC headquarters by merging ADC Patuk.
Additionally, the CO Sarli headquarters was upgraded to an EAC headquarters, and a new PWD subdivision was approved at Nyapin with sanctioned posts for an Assistant Engineer, an Upper Division Clerk, and a Lower Division Clerk.
Further, the cabinet sanctioned the creation of electrical sub-divisions at Nyapin in Kurung Kumey and Monigaon in Shi Yomi district respectively, and approved the formation of the Nyobia Community Development (CD) Block and an RWD division in Koloriang.
Infrastructure development projects for community health centers at Sangram and the construction of a multipurpose sports hall at Laying in Kurung Kumey district were also approved.