PM to arrive in Arunachal amid rain

The prime minister is expected to first land at Lakhimpur in eastern Assam and then fly to Itanagar in a helicopter.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to arrive on Thursday on a two-day visit to the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh amid tremendous enthusiasm from locals with thousands of people already converging in the capital city of Itanagar for a public rally later in the day.

HT Image

"We are all waiting for the prime minister's arrival and we hope he would announce many surprise gifts to the people of the state," Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu told IANS.

The prime minister is expected to first land at Lakhimpur in eastern Assam and then fly to Itanagar in a helicopter.

"If the weather condition does not permit the prime minister to come by helicopter, then he would drive down from Lakhimpur to Itanagar. We were told the prime minister is determined to make it to the state even by road with rains lashing the region since the last few days," Takam Sanjay, adviser to the chief minister, said.

The prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate two power projects, the 3,000 MW Dibang multipurpose project and the 110 MW Pare hydroelectric project at Doimukh on the outskirts of the city, besides laying the foundation stone for a permanent complex of the state legislative assembly, and the civil secretariat.

"The prime minister's initiative in the power sector would transform our state into a hydroelectric powerhouse of India," the chief minister said.

Despite the rain, people in thousands have already started pouring to the capital city to attend the public rally.

"This is the first time in 10 years that any prime minister is visiting the state and hence the excitement," Khandu said.

The prime minister will visit army bases in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday before leaving for New Delhi.