ITANAGAR, Nov 9: Anini MLA Rajesh Tacho in a letter to the chief minister suggested conducting a series of intensive consultations, from the grassroots to the administrative level, before going ahead with the proposal for creating a new district by bifurcating Lower Dibang Valley (LDV).
Citing Letter No DAD-59/2018/736, dated Itanagar, 2 August, 2018, issued by the DA secretary to the deputy commissioners of East Siang, Upper Siang and LDV districts, seeking reports on the feasibility of creating a new district by bifurcating East Siang, Upper Siang and LDV and verification of claims and counter claims, the MLA, in his letter written on 26 October, said: “The government has done well to seek verification in this regard. The government should have followed it with a vigorous public consultative process if at all such a division of a district (Lower Dibang Valley) is unavoidable, instead of seeking thirteen points documents along with the feasibility report.”
Raising objection to the bifurcation of LDV without prior public consultation, the MLA said the area which has been proposed as the new district runs adjacent to Dibang Valley district.
“The whole region of Ahi Valley and some portions of Ihi Valley fall in the jurisdiction of Dibang Valley, and therefore the Anini DC cannot be ignored in such a blatant fashion,” Tacho said.
He said the Dibang Valley DC has to be a part and parcel of any consultation in such administrative matters “for a thorough and transparent discussion.”
Referring to a memorandum he had submitted to the CM on 31 July, Tacho said the government must be very clear about the territory that it is seeking to bifurcate.
“The concerned MLAs of the proposed areas must be taken into confidence before further consultations, instead of asking the DCs for putting up reports,” Tacho said, and suggested framing “safeguard policies post suo moto recognition of traditional lands in the proposed areas for the creation of new district.”
