Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 18: Taking a dig at the Pema Khandu-led BJP government for creating one district after another, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday advised the state government not create districts “just on paper.”
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan here, APCC president Takam Sanjoy castigated the Pema government for failing to create posts in the newly-created districts.
“We formally welcome the creation of districts. However, we ask the government why not a single post has been created by the finance department? Creating districts just on paper is turning the government into a laughingstock,” Sanjoy said.
“Shifting of a few clerical staffs with a DC is not absolutely a district,” he said, and demanded that the BJP government create and fill up 50 percent of the posts needed in each new district before the election.
“This government should not fool the people anymore. The District Reorganisation Act is amended on paper only, and while the names of the newly-created districts, Pakke-Kessang, Lepa Rada, Shi Yomi and Lower Siang are included, no single post has been created. It is a shameful thing,” Sanjoy said.
The APCC president also mocked the state government’s ‘Arunachal Rising’ campaign.
“This borrowed BJP is using a surprise dictum called ‘Arunachal Rising’. The whole world knows that Arunachal is the Land of the Rising Sun. Is this a mini-election campaign?” Sanjoy said.
He accused the chief minister and Deputy CM Chowna Mein of “chopping off the helicopter services to various places, including Anini, Vijayanagar, Sangram and Guwahati, on account of their ‘Arunachal Rising’ campaign.”
Sanjoy went on to claim that in 2017-’18, Rs 450 crore had been released under the SIDF but the government sanctioned around Rs 1400 crore. “Why is the government unable to release the LOC of those sanctioned works?” he questioned.
“Seventy-five percent the SIDF fund is said to have been released on paper. Why is the LOC not being released?” Sanjoy asked.
The APCC urged the Pema government to “release 100 percent fund under the SIDF immediately,” claiming that most of the works were given to BJP workers “who are suffering for payment.”
Sanjoy also said it appeared that the chief secretary was running the current government, citing the instance of the CS giving an hour-long speech during the inaugural function of Pakke-Kessang district, whereas the CM and the DCM spoke for only a few minutes.
“The power of the people is given to the elected representatives; but the minister has no power in this government. Rather, this government is being run by the bureaucrats,” Sanjoy said.
“Is this government being run by the chief secretary or the chief minister? We need an answer from the BJP,” he said.
