Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee demanded the immediate pullout of security forces from areas marked for the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Former party president Takam Sanjoy spoke at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan on October 12. He warned that pushing the massive dam without local consent triggers deep instability. The state must drop its coercive tactics.
Congress wants the immediate release of four Adi activists. They are Adum Tayom, Omak Paron, Okut Paloh, and Oson Paron. The party also requested a legal review of cases filed under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 2014. They demanded the state scrap FIRs against villagers and students while reversing job terminations for gaon buras and government staff. Sanjoy noted, "The people of Arunachal Pradesh are not against development. They are entitled to ask what kind of development is being pursued, at whose cost, and with whose consent. Their questions cannot be answered with police deployment, arrests or administrative pressure."
The party targeted the 350-crore rupee Special Development and Livelihood Package. Sanjoy called for a freeze on those funds until the government releases beneficiary lists and eligibility rules. He requested an independent probe into claims that cash handouts are buying support for the project. The Congress also wants a total stop to field work for the Pre-Feasibility Report. They expect written guarantees from the government and NHPC that no construction starts without public consent.
Sanjoy dismissed the idea that national security concerns regarding China’s Yarlung Tsangpo project justify trampling on local rights. He insisted on the protection of the traditional Kebang system. The Congress plans to push these 13 demands through a delegation led by party president Bosiram Siram. They will meet with the governor, the chief minister, and the chief secretary to force a shift in policy.
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