President Droupadi Murmu today underlined that there should be more participation of women in every field of work, including state assemblies, for the overall and inclusive development of the country.

”The participation of women should increase in all the state assemblies, including the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, as well as in other institutions of people’s representation,” she said addressing a special session of the Arunachal Legislative Assembly in Itanagar.

Discipline and decorum, according to her, were the hallmarks of the parliamentary system. ”We must ensure that the content and quality of the debate is of the highest standard. At the same time, we need to build a consensus on the issues of development and public welfare,” she added.

The President said that in today’s era, environmental pollution and climate change were critical issues. ”We have to find solutions to these concerns quickly. These matters become more important for a geographically sensitive state like Arunachal Pradesh.”

Murmu appreciated the Arunachal Assembly for implementing the ‘e-Vidhan’ – paperless digital journey – under the ‘Digital India’ programme. She noted that the state government has declared 2022 as the ‘Year of E-Governance’ and launched several E-Governance projects. She expressed confidence that these projects would not only help in administrative reforms but also contribute to making life easier for the common citizen.

The President said that a vibrant system of self-governance and grassroots democracy has existed in the land of Arunachal for centuries. The people of this state have actively participated in the modern democratic process as well, which reflects their political consciousness and faith in democracy.

She said that citizens expect from people’s representatives that they would always strive for the development of the state and public welfare. As the apex policymakers of the state, the members of the Assembly have a vital role in the development of the state.

She said that Arunachal was an important part of India and a major stakeholder in India’s Act East Policy. The North-Eastern Region has long been deprived of the benefits of economic development due to a lack of road, rail and air connectivity. But the Union Government was giving top priority to the connectivity and development in the North-East.

The President said that to ensure that the people of this region keep moving forward on the path of development without being cut off from their roots, there was a need to lay emphasis on preserving and promoting the tradition, culture and values of the region. As the people’s representative of Arunachal Pradesh, members of this Assembly have a critical role to play in promoting social change while preserving the richness of the state’s cultural values and traditions.