Chief Secretary of Arunachal Naresh Kumar reviewed the preparedness for COVID-19 vaccination in the state on Thursday. Kumar asked the Deputy Commissioners to monitor the availability of cold chains and related vaccination instruments in their respective districts with the roll-out of a potential COVID-19 vaccine imminent by 2021.

The chief secretary while addressing the DCs through a virtual meeting asked them to go through all protocols of preparedness for the immunization drive and ensure that all support and facilities are made available to ensure its smooth rollout.

Kumar, during the meeting also informed that Arunachal has been awarded as the 'leading small state in the fight against Covid-19' in India Today's annual State of the States Award-2020.

"I would like to request you all to the work with the same zeal and tempo as you all were in the past 9 months," he said while complimenting the contribution of deputy commissioners' in curbing the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

The chief secretary also took stock of important issues related to the health, panchayati raj, land management and planning departments.

Highlighting the importance of road connectivity, the chief secretary directed the deputy commissioners to expedite all land acquisition cases pertaining to defence, BRTF, NHIDCL and ITBP.

He further asked them to expedite the submission of utilization certificates of works carried under Border Area Development Programme, North East Council, Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources, State Infrastructure Development Fund, North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme, Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.