Itanagar, Jan 23 (IANS): Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Wednesday that about 1,300 villages across the border state are yet to be connected by road and he assured that no stone would remain unturned to connect all these villages in the next few years.

After visiting the remote and mountainous Tali Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister reiterated that the government's top priority is road connectivity and has assured approval and sanction of roads to yet-to-be-connected villages in the area as urged by the local MLA Jikke Tako.

Marking the historic development, CM Khandu, travelled to Pipsorang, recently upgraded to an SDO headquarters, by road from Tali in Kra-Dadi district, in Tali Assembly constituency, the only constituency in the state that remained unconnected till 2022.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Rajya Sabha MP Nabam Rebia and state's Urban Development Minister Balo Raja, among others, accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit.

On February 27, 2022, CM Khandu opened the road to Tali by reaching the last unconnected administrative centre travelling from Itanagar.

He joined the Nyokum festivities there achieving two milestones -- being the first Chief Minister to reach Tali by road and to join Nyokum celebrations at Tali.

Recalling his last visit to Tali in 2022, CM Khandu said that the road from the Joram-Koloriang Trans-Arunachal Highway to Yangte was in poor condition.

He added that funds were sanctioned for the upgradation of that road soon after.

"I am happy to note that work on that stretch has begun on the ground. Next time I will come by road from Itanagar to Yangte-Tali and Pipsorang," he said.

He also added that several projects, mostly road construction, worth Rs 515 crore were ongoing in the Assembly constituency and announced new sanctioned projects worth Rs 44.5 crore.

The newly sanctioned projects include infrastructure creation for the Pipsorang SDO office, infrastructure development for newly established administrative circles of Paya and Nyorik and construction of the Tali township roads.