Student bodies support DMPAC’s demand

[ Karyir Riba ]

ROING, Aug 24: The All Idu Mishmi Students’ Union and the Dibang Valley District Students’ Union on Monday said they have “resolved to take cognizance” of the delay in payment of compensation to the project affected families (PAF) of the Dibang multipurpose project by the NHPC Ltd.

The two student bodies have extended support to the Dibang Multipurpose Project Affected Committee’s (DMPAC) 15-day ultimatum to the NHPC to resolve the long-pending DMP compensation issue, failing which, they said, they would resort to democratic movements.

The unions said that the PAFs were promised fair compensation according to the LARR Act, 2013, “as per public hearing conducted in the year 2013.” However, the PAFs are still being made to run from pillar to post for the compensation that they are entitled to, the unions said.

They said that “despite extending all possible support for the success of the project and its early completion, all sorts of malicious and calculated attacks have been initiated towards the poor PAFs. This has pushed the PAFs to the zenith of their patience and toleration.”

The unions demanded that the state government and the NHPC announce the date of awarding the compensation amount to all the beneficiaries.

“The NHPC should consult with the state government and the PAFs, rather than approaching the court about the matter, and should adhere to the laid down procedure, as was followed by the deputy commissioners of Dibang and Lower Dibang Valley districts in the assessment for the compensation amount as per the state government directives under the LARR Act 2013,” the unions said.

They said they would “fight for the right of the tribal people and not rest until justice is delivered to the deprived PAFs of the DMP.”