NAHARLAGUN, May 25: The People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) has expressed serious concern over the Arunachal Pradesh (Land Settlement and Records) (Amendment) Act, 2018, saying it would have a detrimental effect on the people of the state.
The act was passed by the state assembly on 7 May.
“This amendment will cause detrimental effects to the people of Arunachal. Because of this amendment, our land can be given to outsiders on lease for 30 years and it can be extended up to another 33 years. This way, rich outsiders can become indirect owners of our state. It is harmful for our future generations as we Arunachalis are innocent and can be duped by the misuse of this act,” the party stated in a press release on Friday.
It called for a referendum on the act, saying “the public should have been kept in light before passing this amendment bill in the assembly.”
“The secrecy and quietness under which this amendment had been passed is intriguing. The increase in land revenue from 5 rupees to 1000 rupees per square metre and the passing of this amendment appears as a plan by the state government to force our people to give our land away to outsiders on lease,” it said.
It said that, while the PPA accepts its own failure to raise its voice when the amendment was being passed in the assembly, “the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes’ Forum should also tell the public their stand on this amendment.
“Similarly, we want to know the stand of the Arunachal Pradesh Women Welfare Society on this amendment,” it said, “because when women are not given the right to inherit land, outsiders can be given land on lease in Arunachal for so many decades.”
