HT Correspondent
ITANAGAR, Aug 2: Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Chowna Mein on Friday outlined a renewed vision for accelerated grassroots development under the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks initiatives at the Sampoornata Abhiyaan Samman Samaroh, held at the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Centre in Itanagar.
The event was jointly organised by the Planning and Investment Department of the state government and NITI Aayog to honour the achievements of district and block-level administrations in implementing flagship government schemes.
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The information was shared through an official statement.
Calling the Sampoornata Abhiyaan more than just a governance initiative, Mein described it as “a mission to ensure that every single citizen reaps the full benefits of every flagship government scheme.”
He emphasised the need to transform aspirations into measurable outcomes and acknowledged the crucial role of local administrators, field workers, and community stakeholders in enabling last-mile service delivery.
A key highlight of the event was the recognition of Namsai district, which has witnessed a significant improvement in performance, climbing from the 97th to the 12th rank among 112 Aspirational Districts in the country.
Mein attributed this success to the coordinated efforts of the district administration and community participation.
He specifically congratulated the Deputy Commissioner of Namsai and the Block Development Officer of Chongkham for achieving 100% saturation in several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under the Aspirational Block Programme.
“This remarkable leap is a testament to the tireless efforts of our officials and the community alike,” he said, while also lauding the performance of blocks such as Lekang, which along with Chongkham, achieved notable developmental milestones.
However, Mein was clear that the journey was far from over. He issued a directive for the complete saturation of remaining KPIs in Namsai, as well as in Chongkham (Namsai), Tali (Kra Daadi), and Pongchau (Longding) by December 2025.
He announced plans for personal field visits to the Aspirational Blocks of Pongchau and Tali during the winter to oversee progress.
“Monitoring must be regular, purposeful, and aligned with our goal of saturation,” he added.
The Deputy CM urged senior officers and Deputy Commissioners to adopt a rigorous and proactive approach in overseeing Central and State flagship programmes.
He called for greater accountability and faster execution across all sectors including healthcare, nutrition, education, electrification, and soil health.
Describing the ongoing development push as a collective movement, Mein remarked, “This is the rise of a governance culture called ‘Team Arunachal’.”
He also acknowledged the critical contributions of Deputy Commissioners, District Planning Officers (DPOs), BDOs, data managers, and ground-level workers.
In a bid to promote community entrepreneurship and rural livelihoods, Mein also launched the Akanksha Haat — a week-long exhibition platform aimed at empowering self-help groups (SHGs) and showcasing local enterprises.
He described it as a celebration of innovation at the grassroots and a step towards strengthening the rural economy through self-reliance.
“This platform not only promotes local products and talents but also fosters economic empowerment,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Commissioner (Planning & Investment) Ankur Garg thanked NITI Aayog for its continued guidance and support.
He noted that the Aspirational District and Block Programmes are driving a fundamental shift toward targeted, data-driven development anchored in convergence, competition, and collaboration.
Among the dignitaries present were Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom, Secretary (Planning & Investment) RK Sharma, Secretary (Rural Development & Panchayati Raj) Sonal Swaroop, San Gupta from NITI Aayog, and the Deputy Commissioners of Namsai and Longding.
The event concluded with the distribution of awards and commendations to outstanding districts, blocks, and officials, underlining the government’s commitment to inclusive, performance-based governance.
