ITANAGAR, Oct 30: A delegation of the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), led by its president Bengia Tolum, submitted a memorandum to Governor BD Mishra on 29 October, reiterating its demands related to the Potin-Pangin Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) compensation scam.
The forum had earlier submitted a memorandum in the same matter to the governor on 9 August, urging him to direct the state government to initiate action – on the basis of the report of the fact-finding committee – against the culprits involved in the scam within 20 November.
The AITF is also seeking legal action against the false claimants of the RoW assets compensation, and immediate start of construction of the Potin-Pangin TAH, “so that the people are not deprived of good road connectivity.”
“However, if the state government is unable to initiate any legal action on the basis of the fact-finding committee report on the matter and lodge FIR against the culprits, we would once again reiterate our demand for immediate handing over of this massive corruption case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for effective investigation and prosecution of the culprits,” the AITF stated in the memorandum, seeking the governor’s personal intervention in ensuring prosecution of the culprits involved in the scam and expediting the construction of the highway.
The AITF later said the governor assured to take up with the appropriate authorities regarding initiating follow-up action in the matter.
It said the governor also expressed deep concern over the report of encroachment on 64 acres of land allotted to Rajiv Gandhi University and urged the AITF delegation to “regain the land for the highest institution of learning in the state.”
Tolum, who is also the president of the Nyishi Elite Society, assured the governor that ways and means for a solution in the matter would be found in consultation with the university’s vice chancellor.
“The governor exhorted the AITF team to interact with the vice chancellor for firsthand information to draw action plan of the civil society,” it said.
