health facilities

Arunachal Pradesh Planned Development

Till the first plan period there was practically no accent of economic or social development in Arunachal Pradesh. The tribal economy was backward and non monetized economy, land was scarce, technology primitive, manpower was scarce and unskilled, malnutrition, and illiteracy were some of the visible problems.

First and Second Five Year Plan

The first five year plan sanctioned a total outlay of only Rs. 3 crore. The plan was ushered only in 1953 as a result of which the final expenditure was even lesser than the actual outlay with just Rs. 2.01 Crore.

The top priority during the first two plans were given to the transport and communication services accounting for 35 to 40 percent of total plan expenditure in order to construct all weather roads in the territory. Next priority sector was social and community services, which received 32 to 35 percent of the total plan expenditure. In the field of education, more attention was given to consolidation and improvement of existing schools, rather than setting up new ones.

The extension of medical services got into stride in 1951 with the establishment of a separate medical department. In the agriculture sector emphasis was given to draw the attention of farmers to practice settled cultivation from the usual jhum cultivation.

Third Five Year Plan

The total outlay for the third five year plan ( 1961-66) was Rs. 7.15 Crores, which was because of extra allocation of Rs. 2 Crores for improvement of communication. The urgency for the development of transport and communication was felt after the Chinese aggression in 1962. As a result of which 306 kms of road was added during the third plan. During the third plan period, the highest priority was given to social and economic infrastructure of the territory.

During the three Annual Plans (1966-69) the topmost priority was given to extension of social and community services followed by transpo.rt and communication sector. Under Social and Community Services activities were confined to motivate the people in the field of education, covering more villages with water supply schemes, provision of health facilities, etc. Industry got very meager percentage of total o_utlay in all the plan period and the possible reason could be the absence of infrastructural development coupled with the absence of manpower and other resources.

Fourth Five Year Plan

During this period the fourth five year plan (1969-74) was already underway with the total outlay of Rs. 17.99 crores but actual expenditure at the end of the plan period went up to Rs. 21 crores as shown in Table 3 .1. In the agricultural and allied sectors the objective continued to be on increase in food production through various schemes such as land reclamation and development, terracing improved jhuming, irrigation etc. And from the general framework it appeared that more emphasis was given on land development and terracing, but food production was far from the required quantity.

Fifth Five Year Plan

During Fifth Plan the Pradesh Council was converted into a provisional legislative council in 1975. Arunachal Police was established in 1974. In the same year State transport Department was set up with the aim to connect the administrative headquarters and to promote greater interaction to build economic, social and cultural link within and outside the territory. Transport and communication continued to be one of the topmost priority areas, with about 35 percent of states total plan expenditure devoted for its development. New roads-both surfaced and unsurfaced were constructed connecting the sub-divisional headquarters.

Sixth Five Year Plan

The sixth five-year plan (1980-85) period brought in lot of changes in addition to the . already existing institutions as well as development process. Top-most priority was given to social and community services accounting for 31 percent of the total plan allocation. By the end of same year Plan 3 colleges, 62-higher/ high school, 132 middle/ senior basic schools and 1144 primary/ junior basic schools with the total of 1338 schools were in existence in the territory.

About. 25 percent of total fund were allocated for the further development and maintenance of the transport and comm·unication services. As a result of which 300 krn , surfaced and 800krn unsurfaced road was constructed in the VI plan.

Emphasis was also laid on the development of agriculture and allied activities, village and small-scale industries and extension of essential services in the rural and backward areas.

Seventh Five Year Plan

With an outlay of Rs. 549 crores, the main thrust in the seventh five-year plan ( 1985-90) continued to be on the development of physical and social infrastructure facilities, agriculture and allied services, power, transport and communications .

In agriculture sector the main emphasis continued to be on increase in foodgrain production to generate surplus production, to wean the jhumias to settled cultivation.

Attempt was made by government to provide subsidised transport facilities to help the farmers to dispose off their produce in nearest markets. To overcome the endemic marketing problem Arunachal Pradesh Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act was passed in 1989.

During the seventh plan and subsequent Annual plans ( 1990-91 & 1991-92) governments objective was to execute micro as well as comparatively large hydel schemes

Eighth Five Year Plan

The proposed outlay for the VIII plan was Rs. 1728.62 crores. However, the actual expenditure turned out to be Rs. 1714.62 crores. The broad objectives of the Eight five-year Plans (1992-97) were:

• Development ofbasic infrastructure

(ii) Self-sufficiency in food. ·

(iii) Promotion of horticulture

(iv) Rapid development of local resources based on industries

(v) Development of manpower resources (vi) Welfare programme: literacy, health care, minimum needs programmes etc.