Dear Editor,
Recently while going through your newspaper I came across a report about people of Bomja village under Tawang district getting eye catching Rs 40.8 crore as compensation from ministry of defence. As per report Rs 40.8 crore were paid to 31 families of Bomja village as compensation for acquiring a little over 200 acres of land. Chief Minister Pema Khandu himself boasted in social media that each villagers have become billionaire over night with one person getting highest amount of around rupees seven crore.
I was really happy for my fellow brothers and sisters of Bomja village. But it made me wonder why government wants rest of the state to give land free for the development work. State government wants land free for establishment of airport at Hollongi. It wants land free to establish film institute at Jote. Left with no choice people donated land free for establishment of NIT, Law College, film institute at Jote and Govt engineering college at Toru all under Papum Pare district. Why there is different yardstick for different people in Arunachal Pradesh? For just acquiring 200 acre of land, 31 household is getting huge amount of Rs 40.8 crore. Whereas at Hollongi if am not wrong more than 100 household is losing their precious land and compensation reportedly comes to only around Rs 200 crore. How fair it is to expect people of Hollongi to give land free of cost? Throughout India, the government pays compensation for construction of road, port, airport, railway etc. But here government always expects us to donate land free. We do support development activities and are willing to walk extra mile for it but we do deserve to be paid for parting away with our precious land.
As per rumour and political gossip going around, the Hollongi airport project is dying slow death due to rivalry between MoS Home Kiren Rijiju and APCC President Takam Sanjoy. My only suggestion to MoS Home is that a spark neglected burns the house. As election is nearing we wonder on what basis you will seek vote in Hollongi and nearby areas. Chief Minister Pema Khandu should ensure that every citizen of state get equal compensation for parting away with their precious land. Let there be no discrimination based on tribe and region.
Yours,
Maram,
Itanagar