DAMBUK, Dec 18: Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein, inspected the ongoing flood protection work on the western bank of the Dibang river at Bomjir here in Lower Dibang Valley district on Monday.
The flood protection work is being carried out by the Water Resource Department and funded under the SIDF.
Mein assured to look into the demands placed by the local representative and take up the matter with the chief minister.
WRD Parliamentary Secretary Gum Tayeng told the DCM that some portions of Zaktum Notko, the artists’ village set up for the Orange Festival for Adventure & Music (OFAM) at Bomjir, were washed away due to a change in the course of the Dibang river last summer.
Had the flood protection work been done last winter, the erosion and the damages caused by the river in the western bank could have been averted, she said.
She said the work was not completed because of “the lackadaisical attitude of some of the departmental officials.”
Saying the fund provided under the SIDF last year was not sufficient to carry out the required flood protection work, Tayeng requested the DCM to provide additional fund, as the river is threatening the entire Bomjir village and the approach road to Dibang bridge which is nearing completion.
OFAM Director Abu Tayeng informed that the Dibang river eroded eight haats in the artists’ village last summer.
Before leaving Dambuk on Monday morning, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein called for providing last-mile connectivity for the farming community of the state during a meeting with public leaders at the BJP mandal office here.
He said this while responding to the grievances highlighted by the public of the area regarding the problems faced by the orange-growers due to the absence of road connectivity to most of the orange orchards located in the hilly areas.
Anchal Samity Member of Poblung Village, Tokbom Saring, informed the DCM that due to the absence of road connectivity to most of the orange orchards in the area (located in hilly areas), farmers of the area do not get the required benefits for their oranges.
“Heavy expenses are involved in carrying them down to the road by head-load, and most of the fruits get damaged in transportation,” Saring said, and requested the government to provide road connectivity to these orchards.
Assuring them that last-mile connectivity would be provided to them, Mein asked them to submit a proposal to the government.
Dwelling on the state’s potential in tourism and agriculture sectors, Mein said efforts are on to prepare a youth- and farmer-friendly budget in the coming year. He urged the educated youths and the natives of the area to be “contributors in infrastructure, agriculture, and enterprise development.”
He also asked them to take optimum benefit from the government’s welfare schemes and others under which the government is providing loans on subsidized rates for the development of local enterprise, “and zero per cent interest crop loan to the farmers.”
Addressing the party workers, he urged the party’s Yuva, Kisan and Mahila Morcha not to limit themselves only to party activities but to educate the people about the government’s welfare schemes, and to play an active role in taking the society forward.
WRD Parliamentary Secretary Gum Tayeng exhorted the party workers to work wholeheartedly as a team for the betterment of the party.
Public leaders and BJP mandal office bearers were present at the meeting.