Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone for two major hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, along with several other development projects. He arrived in Arunachal Pradesh today and addressed a public gathering, attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
He addressed the public gathering on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for two major hydropower projects to be developed in the Siyom sub-basin of Arunachal Pradesh: the Heo Hydroelectric Project (240 MW) and the Tato-I Hydroelectric Project (186 MW). Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said, “My visit to Arunachal has become special. On the first day of Navratri, I got to see such beautiful mountains. Today, the next-generation GST reforms have come into effect. The GST Savings Festival has begun. Arunachal has been awarded projects in power, health, tourism, and many other sectors.”
On this occasion, he said, “The entire Northeast suffered greatly due to the Congress party’s ideology. Modi worships what no one asked. It took decades for development to reach the Northeast. Arunachal Pradesh is blessed by nature. The then Delhi government neglected Arunachal Pradesh and its people. Parties like the Congress felt that Arunachal Pradesh had very few people living there, and there were only two Lok Sabha seats, so why should this state be given attention? The entire Northeast was lagging behind in development. Our motivation is not the number of votes or seats, but the idea of nation first. Our only mantra is ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’. We worship the eight Northeastern states as ‘Ashtalakshmi’. Therefore, we cannot see this region lagging behind in development.”
PM Modi said, “The people of Arunachal Pradesh say ‘Jai Hind’ before Namaskar. You put the nation before yourself. The nation expects self-reliance. India will develop only when it becomes self-reliant, for which the mantra of Swadeshi is very important.” The need of the hour is to embrace Swadeshi. Buy Swadeshi. Sell Swadeshi. Say with pride, this is Swadeshi.’
He also laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art convention center in Tawang and several major infrastructure projects worth over ₹1,290 crore, which will benefit various sectors, including connectivity, health, fire safety, and working women’s hostels. Earlier, upon PM Modi’s arrival, Governor KT Parnaik and Chief Minister Pema Khandu welcomed him at the Raj Bhavan helipad. Following his engagements in Arunachal Pradesh, PM Modi will travel to Tripura, where he is scheduled to inaugurate development works at the historic Mata Tripur Sundari Temple complex in Udaipur. The visit will include religious rituals, but no public address is expected.
The 45-minute program will focus on the temple’s cultural and spiritual significance. The Prime Minister is expected to arrive at Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport before flying to Palatna by helicopter. From there, he will travel by road to the temple site. Both projects are expected to be commissioned by the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). The projects include the Heo Hydroelectric Project (240 MW) and the Tato-I Hydroelectric Project (186 MW) of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited. According to the official, these two power projects, with an estimated cost of over ₹3,700 crore, are being developed by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation in a joint venture with the Arunachal Pradesh government.
Located in the Siyom sub-basin of Shi Yomi district, the Heo Hydroelectric Project (3 x 80 MW) will generate approximately 1,000 MU of electricity annually. The Tato-I Hydroelectric Project (3 x 62 MW) will generate approximately 803 million units of electricity annually. The official said that both projects are expected to harness Arunachal Pradesh’s vast hydroelectric potential and promote sustainable energy production.
This will bring substantial socio-economic benefits to the region. He said that by fostering new employment opportunities, these initiatives are poised to propel the state onto the path of growth and progress, promote development, and build a brighter future for its citizens. The official explained that together, the Heo and Tato-I projects will significantly contribute to India’s clean energy goals and transform the energy and development landscape of Arunachal Pradesh, thereby improving the power sector across the country in line with the aim of achieving a ‘developed India’ by 2047.
