Arunachal budget focuses on development of 577 border villages

Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh Deputy chief minister and minister in charge of Finance Chowna Mein presented the state budget for 2026-27 and stated through Phases I and II of the Vibrant Villages Programme, border development has gained renewed momentum and a clear, structured focus. Of the State’s 1,452 border villages, 455 under VVP-I along the Tibet border and 122 under VVP-II along the Bhutan and Myanmar borders are identified for comprehensive development in 4 critical areas.

He said that in addition, 32 strategically significant infrastructure projects have been completed in border districts. The designation of our border villages as 'India's first villages’ is not just a change in nomenclature, but a paradigm shift in our development journey.

The Deputy chief minister stated in the past decade, the road network has nearly tripled, with annual construction increasing from about 300 km to over 1,800 km, and 4,000+ km of National Highways under construction. Key projects like the Frontier Highway and the Vibrant Villages Programme, which is building over 1,000 km of road networks connecting more than 125 border villages, are enhancing last mile access, border security and national integration.


“Under Phase II of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive State Road Development Plan, 144 township and headquarters connectivity roads are under implementation, with 87 targeted for completion in 2026-2027. In addition, 36 old critical bridges are being replaced, with 24 targeted for completion in 2026-2027.Construction of the Naharlagun-Hollongi Airport Road is currently underway with an outlay of 84 crore. This vital corridor is being upgraded to modern standards to ensure faster, safer and more seamless connectivity between rail and air gateways,” he said.

He informed that under the Chief Minister's State Rural Roads Development Programme for upgrading and constructing rural roads and bridges not covered under PMGSY, we will invest 2,000 crores over the next 3 years. Guidelines for this Programme have been finalised and roads are being identified. I propose to allocate 500 crores for this programme in FY 2026-2027. “I am delighted to announce that we will commence work on an Aerocity near Donyi Polo Airport in FY 2026-2027. This Aerocity will integrate commercial, hospitality, convention and service facilities and position Itanagar as a key hub for tourism, trade and connectivity. For this, I propose to allocate 90 Crore. We will also establish a convention centre integrated with a 100-150 room hotel at Hollongi in PPP mode, as a flagship destination to host national and international events, business summits and cultural events”.