Arunachal Cabinet goes paperless at Ziro, clears urban reforms, fire stations and revenue push

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 8, 2025

In a first-of-its-kind move outside the state capital, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu chaired a fully paperless cabinet meeting at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district on Monday. Branded “Cabinet Aapke Dwar,” the session used the state’s new eCabinet application, reflecting both a shift to digital governance and a symbolic step towards sustainability.

The meeting saw approvals on a wide range of reforms touching urban planning, fire safety, municipal finance, land allotment and revenue administration—decisions that will impact both towns and villages across the frontier state.

One of the biggest policy moves was the green light for the Draft Arunachal Pradesh Urban and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which will be tabled in the upcoming assembly session. With 47 notified urban centres and rapid urbanisation, the state faces growing challenges of haphazard development. The proposed law is expected to provide a framework for orderly growth through new planning schemes, transfer of development rights, and stronger powers for local bodies. It will also enable the state to access a Rs 100 crore incentive under the Union government’s capital investment scheme.

The Cabinet also approved the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal Property Tax Management Rule, 2025, which will introduce property tax in municipal areas. Officials said this will help municipalities raise their own revenues and reduce dependence on state funds. “Atmanirbhar Municipality is the vision,” one urban affairs officer said, describing the move as a step towards strengthening urban local bodies. Complementing this, the Arunachal Pradesh Municipal (Control on Advertisement) Regulations, 2025, were cleared to regulate outdoor advertising, balancing business needs with town aesthetics.

On public safety, the Cabinet sanctioned four new fire stations in Mebo (East Siang), Kimin (Papum Pare), Deomali (Tirap) and Lungla (Tawang). Sixty-eight new posts will be created to staff these stations. The decision, officials noted, will plug gaps in emergency response, especially in remote towns where fire incidents often spiral due to a lack of infrastructure.

To improve land use, amendments were approved to the Arunachal Pradesh (Land Settlement and Records) Rules, 2012. These will allow government land to be leased for up to 50 years—renewable for another 49—for agriculture, housing, commercial use, industries, estates and public utilities. Officials said this will unlock investment opportunities while ensuring regulation.

Recruitment rules for several posts—including art experts, finance officers, labour inspectors and marketing inspectors—were also revised to streamline appointments and align eligibility with present needs.

The meeting also reviewed the state’s finances. A presentation by the finance department showed strong growth: State’s Own Revenue (SOR) rose to Rs 4,030 crore in 2024-25, up nearly 67 per cent from 2021-22. Over nine years, revenues have more than quadrupled, with tax collections—especially GST—driving much of the surge. GST revenues alone have grown sevenfold since 2017-18. The annual budget now stands at Rs 39,842 crore, more than triple what it was a decade ago.

Much of this growth has been underpinned by the rollout of e-GRAS, a digital receipts platform that makes government payments auditable and 24×7 accessible. First piloted in 2021, it will become mandatory for all credit receipts from January 2025. The system reduces manual handling and delays, while small traders in remote areas are being supported through e-GSK (GST Suvidha Kendras) for assisted compliance.

Reviewing fund flows, the cabinet noted progress under the Single Nodal Agency-SPARSH framework, with more than Rs 1,000 crore already acknowledged electronically this year. Officials said the focus ahead will be on widening digital systems, strengthening compliance and ensuring faster fund drawdowns to avoid project delays.

For Ziro, hosting the paperless cabinet was a moment of pride. Local officials said it symbolised how governance is being taken closer to people, in both technology and geography. For the state government, the mix of urban reforms, safety measures, fiscal strengthening and digital tools approved on Monday marks an effort to balance modernisation with accountability—an approach the chief minister has repeatedly pitched as Arunachal’s path forward.