ITANAGAR, Jul 3: “We have to give away the mindset of compensation if we want development to take place,” said Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein while presiding over a meeting on one of the most important proposed road projects of the state – the East-West Industrial Corridor (Phase I & II) – at the civil secretariat here on Tuesday.
The proposed road would traverse along the foothills in Arunachal Pradesh, from Pasighat in East Siang district to Bhairabkund in West Kameng district (in Phase-I), and from Kanubari in Changlang district to Manmao via Tirap Gate in Tirap district (in Phase-II).
Mein urged the local legislators and the deputy commissioners of the districts through which the road would traverse to create mass awareness in the matter and convince the people to part with some of their land for the road project free of cost.
He said the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor (EWIC) is part of the announcement made by the Union Road, Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, during his visit in January last year, to construct roads worth Rs 50,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
“However, the union ministry also made it clear that the proposed project would be sanctioned only when land is provided free of cost, without any encumbrance,” Mein said.
“This road will be constructed only when the people of the state agree to donate land free of cost without claiming compensation,” he said.
The DCM asked Ahmedabad-based Nector Engineers & Project Consultants to submit the proposed road alignment and the techno-feasibility report for examination by a high-power committee headed by Legislative Assembly Speaker T N Thongdok as chairman and Chief Secretary Satya Gopal as member.
He said the committee would submit their findings and recommendations to the government for final approval.
Thongdok in his address emphasized on early finalization of the alignment and completion of survey and investigation. Gopal described the project as a very important one, and asked the highway department to adhere to a strict timeline.
Highway Chief Engineer T Basar informed that the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor has been conceived to be laid along the foothill areas of the state “as it is one of the richest regions in terms of potential for agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and other cash crops cultivation.
“This region has the potential for establishing industrial units such as fruit processing, packaging and other industrial units due to its proximity with neighbouring Assam, where huge market potential exists,” he said.
Basar also informed that the road, once completed, would reduce the travelling time between the some parts of eastern Arunachal and western Arunachal to the state capital by 2-3 hours as it would pass through the state without touching Assam.
He also informed that the state government has already provided Rs 18 crore for the survey and investigation for Package-I from Pasighat to Naharlagun during the last financial year, besides providing Rs 22 crore during the current financial year for survey and investigation for Package-II from Naharlagun to Bhairabkhun, which also includes 10% state share for DPR preparation.
“The survey and investigation for Package-I has been completed and for Package-II is in progress,” he said.
Representatives of Nector Engineers & Project Consultants presented the proposed alignment, details of land acquisition, forest clearance requirement and design.
Parliamentary secretaries and MLAs Techi Kaso, Kaling Moyong, Tatung Jamoh, Kumsi Sidisow, Kento Rina, B Waghe, Tamar Murtem, and Kardo Nyigyor also actively participated in the meeting and agreed to “do away with the compensation for road.”
Among others, deputy commissioners, forest officers, and engineers attended the meeting. (PRO, DCM)
