The BJP had raked up the issue of the Sino-Indian border dispute ahead of the PM’s visit to the frontier State. But there was no direct reference to the issue in Dr Singh’s words on the first day of his tour, even as he promised a number of sops for the easternmost State.

A project of Rs 550 crore to electrify all the villages along the State’s border (with China and Myanmar) with solar power and micro-hydel plants, a special fund of Rs 400 crore for disaster mitigation, rescue and relief and Rs 265 crore more to complete several unfinished schemes are the highlights of the economic package that Dr Singh promised to the Congress-ruled State. Besides, he promised a Greenfield Airport in the state’s capital Itanagar and aerodromes at far-flung towns like Pasighat, Along, Daporijo, Ziro and Tezu. Singh laid the foundation of two power projects at Dibang and Pare on Thursday.

According to a study by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Arunachal Pradesh ranks first among all the States in hydro-power potential. The northeastern State’s hydro-electric potential was estimated to be 26756 MW at 60 per cent load factor with a probable installed capacity of around 60000 MW. But environmentalists have been expressing concern that too many major dams might jeopardise the fragile Himalayan ecology of the mountainous State.

However, Dr Singh emphasised the need to harness huge hydroelectric potential to accelerate the pace of development in the State. He said Arunachal Pradesh could earn around Rs 3000-4000 crore annually if hydroelectric plants are set up by constructing big dams on its rivers. “They (the hydel plants) alone can change the economic landscape of Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.

On border dispute

The PM’s itinerary for Arunachal Pradesh does not include the border-town Tawang, which has been at the centre of the boundary dispute with China.

The BJP did not miss the opportunity to criticise him on the issue. “The PM should have gone to Tawang. He failed to send out a strong message to Beijing that India would not part with even an inch of Arunachal Pradesh to China,” said Khiren Rijiju, a BJP MP from the State.

Mr Rijiju had recently written to the PM requesting him to assure the locals that the State would forever remain an integral part of India. Though Dr Singh did not travel to Tawang, he said that the border town would be linked with the rest of the country by the Trans-Arunachal Highway — a major road network of 1840 Kms that would make accessible even the most inaccessible parts of the state.