Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, May 31: The Yazali Zilla TAH Compensation Deprived Forum (YZTAHCDF) on Thursday reiterated its demand for a CBI investigation into irregularities by the then Lower Subansiri deputy commissioner, the DLRSO, and the PWD AE in the matter of payment of compensation against the Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) project in the district.
Armed with RTI documents which he claimed were “enough to implicate officers involved in the multi-crore scam,” the forum’s spokesman Bengia Tolum alleged that the district authority had released payment to 43 “artificial beneficiaries who do not have a single structure along the TAH alignment.”
After the YZTAHCDF first raised the issue earlier this month, the state government constituted a high level fact-finding committee, headed by Home Commissioner AC Verma, to look into the allegation.
Addressing media persons at the press club here, Tolum on Thursday alleged that the then DC Kemo Lollen, DLRSO Bharat Ligu, and PWD AE Toko Taje “manipulated the evaluation and paid handsome amountsto many beneficiaries whose buildings are not affected by the TAH alignment.”
Tolum cited Chainage No 11.215 to 11.310 km, and Chainage No 16.745 to 16.830 km as examples.
“Huge amounts were paid to imaginary or false beneficiaries. Therefore this case should be handed over to the CBI, so that the responsible persons are booked and punished,” Tolum said.
“They tried to bribe me by not deducting any amount from the compensation for my structures while deducting from others’,” he alleged.
Tolum also questioned the silence of MP Kiren Rijiju and Yachuli MLA Likha Saaya on the issue. “We have elected them as representatives; they should listen to the people of Yazali,” he said, and sought Rijiju’s (who is also the Union MoS for Home Affairs) intervention in the matter.
The forum informed that, as per the DPR, Rs 79,78,93.702 were sanctioned for disbursing compensation, including for standing structures (Rs 75,97,90,959), private and government land (Rs 2,56,17,377), private and agricultural land (Rs 53,19,716), horticulture land (Rs 19,62,750), and fishery plots (Rs 52,02,900).
The forum demanded immediate suspension of the officers whose names are involved in the scam, and urged the leaders involved in the scam not to interfere with the investigation.
