New Delhi, July 18, 2025: Jairampur town in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh, has been honored with the State-Level Swachh Survekshan Award 2024-25 in the category of ‘Promising Swachh Shehar of Arunachal Pradesh’. The recognition comes in light of the town’s remarkable performance in the national Swachh Survekshan cleanliness assessment.
The prestigious award was presented at a special ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan on Thursday. The event was graced by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and several other dignitaries.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal handed over the award to Arunachal Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Balo Raja and Urban Affairs Commissioner Vivek Pandey, who received it on behalf of the state.
Following the award presentation, a national-level meeting of urban development ministers took place at the same venue. The gathering brought together central and state ministers, urban commissioners, and senior officials from across India to discuss critical urban development priorities.
The meeting featured the exchange of best practices under various missions, including roundtable sessions on garbage-free cities, water security, urban governance, and housing-service integration. Key updates were also shared regarding the progress of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
During the session, Minister Balo Raja made a compelling appeal for a revised funding policy that accounts for the special requirements of hilly and Northeastern states. He urged the ministry to reduce the population eligibility threshold to 5,000 for small towns and district headquarters. He pointed out that the current per capita funding model under SBM-U and AMRUT leaves out many deserving urban areas in Arunachal Pradesh.
Raja emphasized that with over 80% forest cover, Arunachal Pradesh plays a key ecological role, and that the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) must prioritize equitable urban growth in the frontier regions.
He also advocated for the creation of a dedicated, flexible funding mechanism for the Northeast, and called for immediate support under the Urban Challenge Fund to address Arunachal’s pending proposals and urban development plans.
The recognition of Jairampur marks a significant milestone in Arunachal Pradesh’s efforts to build clean and sustainable urban environments.
