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TAWANG, SEP 24: The Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM), Block Mission Management Unit (BMMU), Tawang, organised a one-day orientation programme for Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members of Tawang Block on the Village Prosperity Resilience Plan (VPRP) at the IIM Shillong Satellite Centre, Tawang, on Thursday. Through a presentation, BMM ArSRLM Tawang Thupten Chudup briefed participants on the mission’s activities, particularly the formation and strengthening of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). He highlighted their role in empowering rural women economically and socially and enabling them to become ‘Lakhpati Didis’. Chudup explained that VPRP is a community-based demand plan to be incorporated into the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). Its key components include the Entitlement Plan, Livelihood Plan, Public Goods, Services and Resource Development Plan, and Social Development Plan. He said empowered women contribute to prosperous villages and emphasised the role of government and PRIs in providing sustained handholding and livelihood support to rural women. Addressing the gathering, Tawang Panchayat Member Secretary and Deputy Director Rural Development Tenzin Jambey stressed the role of Panchayats in identifying developmental gaps at the grassroots level. He urged PRI members to map the needs of their respective villages and involve SHG members in preparing development plans. Jambey also called for greater participation of line departments in the planning process. He suggested that, besides routine works such as CC steps, drains and retaining walls, Panchayat funds could be channelled towards horticulture, agriculture and allied livelihood activities to create sustainable economic opportunities. He urged PRI members to incorporate such initiatives into the upcoming GPDP of Tawang Block. Tawang ZPM Sonam Nordzin appreciated BMMU-ArSRLM Tawang for organising the orientation programme and said it would strengthen Panchayat leaders’ understanding of their role in promoting SHGs and empowering rural women. She also congratulated Nawang Chonzom on the registration of the Khandro Drowa Zangmo Cooperative Society and expressed hope that it would encourage other women and SHGs to pursue similar initiatives for economic self-reliance. Nordzin assured support for SHG activities in Tawang Block and urged Panchayat leaders to discharge their responsibilities with sensitivity while dealing with the public. The programme was attended by Assistant Commissioner-cum-DPO Tawang Nawang Thutan, DHO Koncho Gyatso, DVO Dr Thupten Tashi, CDPO Tawang Dondup Pema, 10 Gram Chairpersons and Chairperson of Khandro Drowa Zangmo Cooperative Society Nawang Chonzom, among others.  

ITANAGAR, SEP 23: The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, on Wednesday approved the constitution of an Empowered High-Level Committee to guide and coordinate the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) survey and associated activities for the proposed Upper Siang Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Siang and Upper Siang districts. According to the Cabinet resolution, the committee has been constituted to facilitate the survey in a transparent, peaceful and people-centric manner. The Cabinet noted that the project was declared a National Project by the Government of India in 2008 and said it has the potential to contribute to water and energy security, flood moderation in the Siang-Brahmaputra basin, employment generation and long-term socio-economic development of the Siang region. The Empowered High-Level Committee will be headed by Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ojing Tasing. Advisor to the Chief Minister and MLA, Yingkiong-Tuting Alo Libang and Geku-Mariyang MLA Oni Panyang will be its members. The Cabinet also took note of concerns raised by sections of people in Siang and Upper Siang districts regarding what it described as misinformation and disinformation being spread by certain vested interests. It stressed that the peaceful conduct of the PFR survey would depend on sustained and meaningful engagement with residents of the two districts. The Cabinet said the voices, welfare and aspirations of likely Project Affected Families (PAFs) and local communities would remain central to the process. The Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to development while respecting local traditions and community interests and expressed confidence that continued dialogue would facilitate the peaceful conduct of the survey.    

ITANAGAR, SEP 23: Animal Husbandry, Veterinary & Dairy Development (AHV&DD) Minister Gabriel D Wangsu reviewed the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) situation in Dibang Valley district at an emergency meeting and directed the department to take immediate measures to contain the outbreak. Wangsu directed the AHV&DD Secretary to monitor the situation daily and ensure prompt implementation of necessary measures at the field level. He ordered deployment of two additional expert Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) to affected areas alongside the existing field team. The teams will be equipped with medicines, logistics, disinfectants, diagnostic support and mobility arrangements and will assist district authorities in disease investigation, treatment, sample collection, containment and field-level response. The minister directed the department to intensify awareness campaigns, public interaction and village-level disease monitoring. Farmers and livestock owners are to be sensitised on early reporting of suspected cases, movement restrictions, biosecurity and preventive measures. He also directed that ring vaccination be undertaken in identified areas to create a protective buffer around affected locations and prevent further spread. Wangsu stressed the need for close coordination among the department, district administration, field veterinarians, PRI members and livestock owners. He directed officials to maintain field surveillance and ensure timely reporting for prompt intervention. He also directed the department to begin preparations for the eighth round of FMD vaccination, scheduled across the State during December 2026-January 2027, with the objective of achieving 100 per cent vaccination coverage of eligible livestock, particularly in remote and difficult-to-reach areas. Wangsu said timely and coordinated response, backed by surveillance, vaccination and community participation, was essential to protect the State’s livestock resources and safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and livestock owners.    

ITANAGAR, SEP 23: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday described the creation of the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) as a landmark reform that has brought greater transparency and fairness to recruitment for Group C and D posts in the state. Inaugurating a newly added conference hall at the APSSB office here, Khandu said the Board was created to provide an equal opportunity to all candidates and replace the earlier system of departmental recruitment, which, he said, could lead to inconsistencies and concerns over fairness. The chief minister said the reform was conceived after he assumed office in 2016 and was deliberately given a legal framework instead of being implemented merely through an executive or Cabinet order. The APSSB was subsequently established under the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board Act, 2018. “I still believe that the reform we brought into the recruitment system by creating the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board is historic in itself. Perhaps we do not realise its significance fully today, but in the years to come we will understand it much better,” Khandu said. The chief minister said that since starting examinations in 2019, the APSSB has conducted 38 examinations and recommended 5,836 candidates for appointment against various vacancies. Lakhs of candidates have participated in its recruitment processes, he said, adding that the 39th examination, the Common Higher Secondary Level Examination (CHSLE) 2026, is currently underway. Khandu said the APSSB has now emerged as the main recruitment channel for Group C and D posts, while recruitment to Group A and B posts is handled by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC). He also highlighted that the Board is an ISO-certified organisation. Recalling the recruitment system before the APSSB was established, Khandu said Group B and C recruitment was largely handled by individual departments. He recalled that, during his earlier tenure as a minister, he had advocated routing recruitment for certain posts through the Public Service Commission to ensure greater transparency and merit. The chief minister stated that the impact of the APSSB has gone beyond government recruitment, with young people increasingly recognising that securing a government job requires preparation, study and hard work. He said the merit-based system has encouraged healthy competition among the youth and improved their educational preparedness. Khandu also referred to steps taken by the government to help Arunachali youth prepare for higher-level competitive examinations. He said a common preparation framework, including the CSET system, was introduced after consultations with experienced civil servants and an assessment of the difficulties faced by local candidates in moving from state-level examinations to UPSC examinations. The chief minister said these interventions have helped more Arunachali youths qualify for All India Services and Group A services through the UPSC. Khandu further said the APSSB is increasingly serving as a stepping stone for young government employees aspiring for higher services, with some recruits later appearing for APPSC and other competitive examinations. He appreciated the Board’s efforts to strengthen career progression opportunities for its recruits and said the government has accepted its proposal to increase the weightage and duration of relevant experience. The move, he said, would help reduce repeated disruptions in the recruitment cycle. “The workforce that will come into the Arunachal government in the coming years will be a very strong workforce. The young people joining through the Staff Selection Board are brilliant, digitally equipped and part of a new generation,” he said. Khandu also stressed the need to strengthen the APSSB’s infrastructure and manpower in view of the growing recruitment workload. He said several new posts were being created across government departments and the Board would consequently have to handle a larger number of recruitments. He directed Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta to examine the requirement for dedicated infrastructure for the APSSB, including the possibility of shifting its existing establishment if necessary. The chief minister also called for adequate technical manpower and staff support for the Board and said there could be no compromise in strengthening the two key recruitment institutions of the state. “There can be no compromise when it comes to the Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Board. Strengthening these two institutions is the responsibility of the government,” Khandu added. (Source: CMO Media Cell/PTI)