Itanagar, Dec 8 (PTI) The Arunachal Pradesh government on Wednesday approved an estimated investment of Rs 54.94 crore for the Dudunghar rurban cluster under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission. The approval was accorded by the State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC), headed by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. Dudunghar is a village in Tawang district. The chief secretary said that the objective should be to develop the Dudunghar cluster into a group of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, an official communiqué said. Kumar directed the rural development department, the state’s nodal agency for implementing the scheme, to focus on economic activities for all the four tribal rurban clusters in the state. The SLEC had earlier approved the detailed project report (DPR) for Tuting, Nafra, and Richukrong tribal clusters. The chief secretary emphasised on holistic approach vis-a-vis the development of the Dudunghar cluster and directed the rural development department to ensure that economic activities are not just limited to the construction of assets but also comprise sustainable livelihood operations increasing local employment, rural tourism, and improvement in the region’s economy. Kumar also advised the department to incorporate local architectural designs and materials in the buildings. He also suggested that instead of taking up multiple projects, emphasis should be given to area-specific schemes. Citing examples, he said, to tap the potential and strengthen the economic development of the Dudunghar cluster, home-stays should be promoted as it has the potential to become one of the major tourist destinations considering its scenic beauty and rural setup. The chief secretary added that the ownership of the assets constructed may be given to local groups, self-help groups, and communities to enhance sustainability. He also directed that the cluster development activities must also focus on handholding, mentoring, and guiding the operations and maintenance of all the projects undertaken in the respective cluster. The detailed project report presented by rural development secretary Amarnath Talwade comprising six components, namely, tourism promotion, agri-services and processing and allied activities, skill development, road connectivity, piped water supply and sanitation was approved with partial modification. PTI UPL MM MM