ITANAGAR, Dec 3: The Nyishi Elite Society (NES) has refused to accept the state government’s stance on its various demands, and hit back at the government on Sunday, accusing it of applying delaying tactics.
The government had on November 30 responded to a number of demands made earlier by the NES, and had informed that funds for the Nyishi Heritage Village and a bridge over the Kumey River to connect Tali have already been sanctioned, and that work on the Itanagar-Seijosa road is currently underway.
The NES said that work on these projects could have been completed much earlier, and that it was ‘waiting for formal communication from the government with gratitude.’
While the state government had not addressed the matter of creation of Pakke-Kessang district on the ground that the area is under the Election Commission’s Moral Code of Conduct, the NES accused the government of ‘creating a rift and misunderstanding within the community’ by leaving the issue.
It cited two meetings held earlier this year, during which the government had claimed that there were complaints against the creation of the district. However, it said that an ‘edited version’of a complaint against the creation of the district was sent to the NES only on December 1.
‘As such, the entire making appears to be concocted and fabricated with mala fide intention to derail the creation of Pakke-Kessang district which is a popular demand of the community – a tricky deal of the government,’ a statement from the NES read.
The NES also raised doubts over the transparency of implementing the Trans-Arunachal Highway project in Nyishi-populated areas, and said that handing over the work to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on November 24 was ‘very-very late.’ It also said that ‘the compensation process is yet to be completed and lots of complaints been lodged over under-payment and lack of transparency.’
Responding to the government’s explanation that plans are underway to establish a cantonment in Itanagar in lieu of a Sainik school, the NES said that a cantonment cannot act as a substitute for not establishing a Sainik school in other Nyishi-populated areas, and that ‘the government justification suffers from acute absurdities.’
The NES also took exception to the government’s statement that a detailed study of the proposed greenfield airport in Hollongi from November 30 to December 1 ‘does not hold water.’ It said that a visit to the Hollongi site does not figure in the itinerary of the Airports Authority of India’s inspection team headed by Joint General Manager (CNS), SP Biswas.
It also came down heavily on the government for its silence over the ‘dog’comment issue.
The statement from the NES said that ‘popular sentiment must not be wrongly construed as communal politics,’ and that the ‘government clarification was meticulously silent on such a volatile and sentimental issue is not digestible for the community.’
