Arunachal Cabinet clears ₹7,834 crore package for roads, power, education
Synopsis
In one of its largest single-sitting approvals, the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet under CM Pema Khandu cleared a ₹7,834 crore package spanning roads, rural connectivity, power modernisation, and school infrastructure — alongside a 20 per cent Agniveer job quota, an AI-powered HR platform, and a vision to skill 1 lakh youths by 2036.
Key Takeaways
Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet approved a ₹7,834 crore development package on 18 July 2025 under CM Pema Khandu . ₹2,334 crore sanctioned for Phase-II of CMCSRDP ; Phase-I works to be completed by March 2027 . ₹2,000 crore each approved for rural road connectivity (CMCSRRDP) and power infrastructure modernisation (CMCSPDP), targeting AT&C losses of 18% by March 2029 . ₹1,500 crore cleared for Mission Shikshit Arunachal Phase-II to improve school infrastructure and learning outcomes.
20% reservation approved for retired Agniveers from Arunachal Pradesh in police and other uniformed services.
Arunachal Human Capital Vision 2036 targets skilling of 1 lakh youths , 10,000 entrepreneurs , and upgrade of all 10 ITIs into skill hubs.
The Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, on 18 July 2025 approved a ₹7,834 crore development package covering infrastructure, education, power, employment, and healthcare — one of the largest single-sitting approvals by the Khandu government in recent years. The decisions, taken at Itanagar, span four flagship Chief Minister's Comprehensive Schemes for 2026–29 and a wide range of governance reforms.
Four Flagship Schemes Drive the Outlay
The bulk of the package is distributed across four state-led programmes. An outlay of ₹2,334 crore was sanctioned for Phase-II of the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Road Development Plan (CMCSRDP), targeting improved connectivity at district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters, and the Capital Complex. Departments were directed to complete all pending Phase-I works by March 2027.
A separate ₹2,000 crore was cleared for the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Rural Road Development Programme (CMCSRRDP) to extend all-weather road access to habitations currently outside the coverage of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Another ₹2,000 crore was approved under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive State Power Development Programme (CMCSPDP), with a mandate to modernise power infrastructure and reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to 18 per cent by March 2029.
The fourth scheme, Mission Shikshit Arunachal Phase-II (2026–29), received ₹1,500 crore to address school infrastructure gaps, strengthen teacher training, expand digital monitoring, and improve learning outcomes across the state.
Employment, Skilling, and MSME Push
In a significant employment decision, the Cabinet approved a 20 per cent reservation for retired Agniveers from Arunachal Pradesh in constabulary and equivalent posts across the police, armed police battalions, fire services, forest department, prisons, and other uniformed services.
The Cabinet also approved the Arunachal Human Capital and Economic Transformation Vision 2036, which targets the skilling of 1 lakh youths, creation of 10,000 entrepreneurs, facilitation of 10,000 apprenticeships and overseas placements, establishment of 100 industry partnerships, and the upgrade of all 10 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into modern skill hubs.
To bolster entrepreneurship, the ARUN MSME Mission was approved to revive and upgrade 500 micro, small, and medium enterprises annually, with a focus on market access, exports, and capacity building.
Governance and Ease of Doing Business
The Cabinet rolled out the AI-powered e-HRMS 2.0 (Manav Sampada) platform to digitise the complete lifecycle of government employees — from recruitment to retirement — with all departments directed to adopt it expeditiously. On the regulatory front, businesses holding specified statutory licences will be exempted from obtaining separate trade licences, eliminating duplication for 56 categories of businesses.
The Chief Minister's Frontier Sainik School Scholarship Scheme was approved to support students in notified Sainik Schools and the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun. An Indian Army-led mentorship programme was also cleared to help Arunachal youths prepare for military institutions and pursue armed forces careers.
Health, Agriculture, and Anti-Drug Measures
On the healthcare front, the Cabinet approved three initiatives: CM CARES (Chief Minister's Comprehensive Action for Resilient, Equitable and Healthy State) to strengthen healthcare and social protection; Mission SURAKSHA (State Unified Response Against Drugs, Substance Harm and Addiction) to unify prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and enforcement against substance abuse; and Ayushman Aarogya Shivir, a 30-day state-wide integrated health camp campaign with a special focus on tuberculosis elimination through intensified screening, early diagnosis, and treatment — aligned with the Centre's TB Mukt Bharat target.
The Arunachal Pradesh Apiculture and Honey Policy, 2026 was also approved, aiming to position the state as a leading honey producer in the Northeast through scientifically managed and commercially viable beekeeping.
What Comes Next
With the cumulative ₹7,834 crore package designed to converge Central and state schemes, implementation timelines now shift to the spotlight. The March 2027 deadline for Phase-I road projects and the March 2029 power loss reduction target will serve as early benchmarks for delivery. How quickly the AI-driven HR platform and the MSME mission translate into on-ground outcomes will determine whether this sweeping cabinet session becomes a governance inflection point for Arunachal Pradesh.
Point of View
834 crore package announced in a single cabinet sitting is headline-worthy, but Arunachal Pradesh has a history of ambitious outlays that stall at the implementation stage — particularly in road connectivity, where terrain and contractor capacity remain chronic constraints. The Phase-I road deadline of March 2027 will be the first real test. The 20 per cent Agniveer reservation is politically astute but operationally narrow; it addresses a small cohort while leaving the broader youth unemployment question unanswered. The AI-powered e-HRMS rollout is overdue for a state where ghost employees and delayed postings have long undermined service delivery — its adoption speed will signal how serious the reform intent really is.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹7,834 crore package approved by the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet?
It is a comprehensive development package approved on 18 July 2025 by the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet under Chief Minister Pema Khandu, covering roads, rural connectivity, power infrastructure, school education, employment, healthcare, and MSME support for the 2026–29 period.
Which are the four flagship schemes funded under this package?
The four schemes are: CMCSRDP Phase-II (₹2,334 crore for roads), CMCSRRDP (₹2,000 crore for rural roads), CMCSPDP (₹2,000 crore for power), and Mission Shikshit Arunachal Phase-II (₹1,500 crore for education). Together they account for the full ₹7,834 crore outlay.
What is the Agniveer reservation approved by the Arunachal Cabinet?
The Cabinet approved a 20 per cent reservation for retired Agniveers from Arunachal Pradesh in constabulary and equivalent posts across the police, armed police battalions, fire services, forest department, prisons, and other uniformed services.
What is the Arunachal Human Capital and Economic Transformation Vision 2036?
It is a long-term skilling and entrepreneurship framework approved by the Cabinet, targeting the training of 1 lakh youths, creation of 10,000 entrepreneurs, facilitation of 10,000 apprenticeships and overseas placements, 100 industry partnerships, and the modernisation of all 10 ITIs in the state into skill hubs.
What healthcare and anti-drug initiatives did the Arunachal Cabinet clear?
The Cabinet approved CM CARES for healthcare and social protection, Mission SURAKSHA to combat substance abuse through unified prevention and enforcement, and Ayushman Aarogya Shivir — a 30-day integrated health camp campaign focused on tuberculosis elimination, aligned with the Centre's TB Mukt Bharat goal.
