Itanagar, Jan 26 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig Dr B D Mishra (Retd) on Wednesday called upon the people of the state to shun ‘bandh culture’, saying that it causes immense sufferings to the common man, the poor, the daily wage earners, housewives and school-going children. Unfurling the National tri-colour at Indira Gandi Park here on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day, the governor pointed out that most of the frequent bandh calls by organizations are misplaced and caused great suffering to the common people. “Most of the times, the bandh calls, unfortunately, have turned violent and public property, bought from our people’s money, worth crores of rupees, have been destroyed. Our administration, now has resolved to handle these bandhs firmly and no unlawful activity will be allowed and the people indulging in unlawful activity will be brought to book,” he said. Informing that the state administration will now have ‘zero’ tolerance towards lawlessness, the governor urged the citizens to cooperate and defeat the unlawful malicious bandh calls at all cost. Exhorting the people to follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour, Mishra informed that despite the country continuously fighting the pandemic in the last two years, the state government meticulously managed the situation. “For Corona and its latest mutation ‘Omicron’, our state government has set up adequate numbers of Covid wards, oxygen plants, ICU units and more than 1000 oxygen beds and sufficient number of oxygen generation plants,” he disclosed, adding that additional 77 ICU beds, 10 pediatric care units and 17 modern district hospitals are also under construction. The governor also complimented the state’s healthcare workers for their contribution towards pandemic care and cure. On increasing instances of drug menace in the state, the governor informed that the state government has made a five year plan for the drug de-addiction amongst the youth and steps are being taken to control the cultivation, distribution and use of addictive items. On the decades-old inter-state boundary dispute with Assam, Mishra said that the state government is making sincere efforts to resolve the long pending issue. “Under the guiding directions of Prime Minister and Home Minister, both the states are sincerely working for a permanent solution. On January 24, Chief Minister Pema Khandu met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati and the boundary resolution talks are progressing in the right directions,” he asserted. Mishra added that the gGreenfield airport at Hollongi, near here, the first in the state, will be ready by August 15, this year while, flights from Guwahati to Pasighat and Guwahati to Tezu would also be functional using ATR-72 aircraft. “The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has already accorded sanction for two Dornier DO-228 aircraft for civil air traffic in the state,” he added. He said, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Yojana, the state government is giving an annual grant of Rs 6000 to every landholder farmer in three installments and so far a total of 98,206 farmers have been registered in the programme. “In order to double the income of the farmers, our government has run “Atma-Nirbhar Krishi Yojana” and “Atma Nirbhar Horticulture Yojana”. These programmes will help our farmers to increase their production. Under the Oil Palm Production Scheme of the Centre, our government is taking forward the programme in the interest of our farmers,” he added. In the education sector, the governor informed that the government has declared year 2021-22 as the Education Year. “In the preceding year, education performance grading of our state has improved and gone up from 570 grade in 2018-19 to 698 grade in 2019-2020. This year, our government, due to zero enrolment in various schools, has closed 400 such schools. We are also planning for opening inter-village schools in every district and modern schools, with modern education facilities, in each of the 60 legislative assembly constituencies,” he said. Mishra added that to impart education in mother tongue, the education department has made available books in Nyishi, Wancho, Galo, Tagin, Kaman, Taraon, Idu and Tangsa dialects. “To inculcate a sense of nationalism among our students, two Ekalavya model residential schools are functioning in the state and three more such schools would be opened soon and six new schools are under construction,” he added. Urging the people to cooperate with the state government in all endeavors, the governor exuded confidence that with the cooperation of people the state would definitely become the most advanced state in the north-eastern region of the country. “It is the Diamond Jubilee Year of our Independence and Golden Jubilee Year of naming of ‘Arunachal Pradesh’. Let us put in our concerted effort for the development of our country and our state,” he added. PTI UPL RG RG