TEZU, Sep 14: The Cultural and Literary Society of Mishmi (CALSOM) has raised objection to granting of PRCs to non-APST members residing in Lohit district in violation of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.
In a representation to the chairman of the Joint High Power Committee (JHPC), the CALSOM stated that the provisions under the BEFR prohibit non-APSTs from possessing land within Arunachal Pradesh, and no person without land holding and indigenous rights has the right to avail the facilities of PRC in the state.
“Any move of the government to grant PRC to non-APST members within Lohit would marginalize the APST community. It would open the Pandora’s box, which could prove detrimental for the state,” the CALSOM said, and requested the JHPC to reconsider its decision to grant PRCs to non-APST families in the district.
The CALSOM stated that it was disclosed in the JHPC meeting held at Namsai with all the stakeholders on 3 September that the state government had earlier, in a cabinet meeting on 17 April, 2010, approved granting PRCs to non-APST families. It was decided in the cabinet meeting that PRCs may be issued to non-APST families who settled in some parts of Lohit and Changlang districts prior to 1968.
However, the cabinet in its subsequent meeting, held on 29 September, 2010, decided to revoke the earlier order, it said.
“It was further revealed that the erstwhile leaders/authorities at the helm of affairs had recommended issuing PRCs to the non-APST families of Panbari, Jhalukbari, Natun Basti (Telluliang), Old Sunpura, and Lohitpur in Lohit district,” the CALSOM informed.
It claimed that all the areas mentioned are under the possession of the local Mishmi community and most of the non-APST families residing there are their tenants.
