ITANAGAR, Sep 17: The Nyishi Elite Society (NES) has reiterated its demand for completion of all formalities in a time-bound manner and construction of the Potin-Pangin stretch of the Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) immediately, “so that the people do not suffer and longer.”
In a press release, the NES on Tuesday said it “vehemently condemned the newspaper report of 13 September, quoting the press conference of 9th instant that implicated the NES president by name and designation with an ill-intent to malign the personal image of Bengia Tolum as well as the institution of the socially acclaimed Nyishi Elite Society.”
Clarifying on the TAH compensation scam, the NES said that “as per the factual records, from
Chainage No 16.570 to 16.745 under Sl No 478, the amount of compensation comes to Rs 89 lakhs as per the actual measurement and sanctioned accordingly. The matter was reported to the Lower Subansiri deputy commissioner on 6 March, 2019, but the DC suo moto published the news on 6 September, 2019, without disposing of the representation submitted by our incumbent president, Bengia Tolum, which appears to be a planned vindictive action as he was spearheading a mass movement in the form of a protest rally on 2 February, 2019, involving all the CBOs of the state under the banner of the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF) to press for early completion of the Potin-Pangin TAH.”
It said “dragging the NES president’s name was just for eyewash to puncture the movement,” adding that “the name of the NES president, which was falsely implicated, be exonerated and published for information of the public.”
“There is no scope of any confusion as the TAH strip plan as well as the structure still exists,” the NES said.
It further clarified that, as the AITF president, Tolum had knocked the doors of all the dignitaries, beginning from the chief secretary to the chief minister and the governor of Arunachal, and submitted memorandums to union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking action on the infamous highway compensation scam, terming it “daylight robbery of the developmental fund.”
The AITF also demanded early completion of the project, saying the people cannot be made to suffer because of a handful of corrupt individuals, which must have attracted the ire of those involved, the NES said.
