Arunachal deputy CM calls for region-specific urban development plans in northeast

Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday called for region-specific urban development plans in the northeast, arguing that population and geographical area were inadequate criteria for assessing the cost of civic services in a region marked by difficult terrain, scattered settlements and frequent natural disasters.

Arunachal deputy CM calls for region-specific urban development plans in northeastAddressing a regional workshop on implementation of the 16th Finance Commission's Urban Local Body grants for northeastern states here, he stressed the need to strengthen municipal institutions, improve financial management and ensure better delivery of essential urban services.

The 16th Finance Commission had recommended around ₹7.91 lakh crore in grants for rural and urban local bodies during 2026-27 to 2030-31, including approximately ₹3.56 lakh crore for urban local bodies, Mein said. "The funds offer a major opportunity to improve civic infrastructure and strengthen local governance," he added.

Mein said municipalities should be transformed from mere implementing agencies into professionally managed institutions capable of planning, financing and maintaining their own development priorities. He called for timely budget preparation, regular audits, transparency and better financial controls, besides strengthening municipal revenue through improved property tax collection, rationalisation of user charges and digitisation of revenue systems.

Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh's urban development challenges, the deputy chief minister said the state had 47 notified towns, including 27 Census Towns, spread across 83,743 sq km. The dispersed settlements and difficult terrain made the creation and maintenance of urban infrastructure particularly challenging, he pointed out.

Mein reaffirmed the state government's commitment to strengthening municipal bodies, improving sanitation and solid waste management, expanding basic urban amenities and promoting planned and sustainable urban settlements.

He identified drinking water supply, drainage, sanitation, wastewater management, urban roads, street lighting and scientific solid waste management as priority areas. He also stressed the need to address shortages of qualified technical, engineering, financial and administrative manpower in municipal bodies.

Calling for concrete outcomes from the workshop, Mein urged the participating states to prepare five-year implementation roadmaps with clear priorities and measurable targets. He also stressed the need to align Finance Commission grants with existing Central and state schemes, including Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban and AMRUT, to avoid duplication of expenditure.

The deputy chief minister called upon the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to extend technical guidance, capacity-building and support to smaller states and municipalities, particularly during the initial years of implementation.

Mein said the success of the 16th Finance Commission would not be measured merely by the funds allocated or released, but by the quality of infrastructure created, the strength of municipal institutions and improvements in the quality of life of citizens.

The one-day workshop brought together delegates from six northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, to discuss effective utilisation of Finance Commission grants and ways to improve urban governance and municipal services.

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