Itanagar: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (November 15) said Arunachal Pradesh would be benefited most from the improvement of bilateral relations with China which was set in motion after the recent visit of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to Beijing.

Addressing a public meeting at Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar, Advani said, ''Much injustice was done to the state in the matter of development in the past because of apprehension that it would benefit our neighbour which unexpectedly attacked us in 1962 and put us, particularly the people of Arunachal Pradesh, in great sufferings''.

But policy makers now had a changed mindset. Emphasis was being given on building infrastructures for the benefit of the people, he said.

He announced a Rs 250 crore central package for the state. Out of the amount, Rs 30 crore would be for construction of a new Assembly building, Rs 20 crore for development of infrastructure for Arunachal University and the rest for a 500-bed referral hospital.

He announced that cell phone would be introduced in all the districts of the state by December.

Cell phones had now been introduced in terrorist infested states like Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland. Railways lines were being constructed upto Srinagar.

Developmental activities and building of infrastructure like road, telecommunication and Information Technology had now started in every nook and corner of the country.

Earlier, Arunachal Pradesh was feeling isolated. But people of the state should now feel that they were residing in the heart of New Delhi.

PTI