Delhi may be far from Arunachal but not from its heart, said Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday expressing that it is the thought that creates distance and not farness.
Khandu said this while responding to questions by veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai at the India Today Conclave East-2018 in Kolkata.
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“From Statehood day till 2013, there were fewer than 50 visits made by Union Ministers to Arunachal including only four visits by Prime Minister. Now under PM Modi, we have more than 100 visits and PM himself visited the State twice,” said the Chief Minister. He said, “It is now Delhi coming to Arunachal.”
Khandu, however, said the state lacks attention of national media and feels left out by it. “Presence of national media in Arunachal will prod the government to work better and bring awareness in people,” he said.
When asked whether people of Arunachal have lost out on development due to certain few pocketing all the funds, Khandu said that due to lack of absence of national media such situation has precipitated.
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He also said such situation have occurred because Arunachal didn’t had proper handholding from earlier party in the Centre.
“Arunachal wasn’t a highly literate state initially and in those days there weren’t proper assistance, regulation and monitoring of funds that led to people getting deprived from benefits of development,” said Khandu adding that the ruling party in Delhi only cared about controlling Arunachal.
“However, in four years everything has changed under PM Modi. It is no more Delhi controlling us but now there is more emphasis on work and transforming idea into reality,” said the CM.
He also said under his tenure corruption will not be tolerated and all those involved have to go behind bars.
To a question how does Arunachal deal with ideological issues of BJP, the Chief Minister replied that all that BJP care about is country’s interest.
“Never was there any indication from the party pushing their ideological agenda. What we are told is to perform and work,” he said.