Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday, 23 May 2026, announced the successful conclusion of a three-phase, district-wise governance review exercise covering all 26 districts of the state — describing it as a 'massive governance exercise, the first of its kind at this scale.'

Context

The final phase of the review, conducted as a 'full-day session,' covered ten districts: Tirap, Changlang, East Kameng, Namsai, Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Anjaw, Tawang and West Kameng. With this session, the exercise spanning three phases reached completion, bringing every district of Arunachal Pradesh under the review umbrella.

CM Khandu extended his thanks to all legislators, Deputy Commissioners, and administrative officers for their 'active participation, valuable inputs and commitment throughout all three phases.' The review meetings brought together elected representatives and district-level bureaucrats in a structured accountability exercise.

Policy Backdrop

Arunachal Pradesh, India's northeastern frontier state bordering China, has 26 districts — several of which were carved out between 2015 and 2018 to decentralise administration and improve governance reach in remote and border areas. The state's geography, with large tracts of difficult terrain, has historically made uniform administrative oversight a challenge.

State governments across India's Northeast have periodically used district-level review mechanisms to identify implementation gaps in infrastructure, welfare delivery, and security-related programmes. For Arunachal Pradesh, border districts such as Tawang, Anjaw and Tirap carry additional strategic significance, given ongoing central connectivity and development schemes under the Act East Policy framework.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has governed Arunachal Pradesh since 2016 under CM Khandu, has consistently positioned 'good governance' and alignment with national development priorities as central planks of its state administration.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary stakeholders in this exercise are the state's MLAs, district administrations headed by Deputy Commissioners, and ultimately the residents of all 26 districts — particularly those in remote and border regions who depend on efficient scheme delivery. District-wise reviews of this nature serve as a direct channel for legislators to flag on-ground implementation concerns to the administration.

For border districts such as Lohit, Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley, which receive targeted central funding for connectivity and infrastructure, the review provides an opportunity to assess progress and surface bottlenecks before the next annual plan cycle.

What's Next

The completion of all three phases sets the stage for follow-up action — potentially in the form of administrative directives, revised targets, or budgetary allocations to be taken up at the next state assembly session or annual plan exercise. Whether the review outcomes translate into concrete policy orders will be the measure of the exercise's impact.

The scale of the undertaking — covering every district in a single structured exercise — positions it as a potential template for future governance audits in Arunachal Pradesh and, if replicated, across other northeastern states.