Staff reporter
ITANAGAR, Nov 24: The Save Arunachal Youth Association has demanded a white paper from the state government on the fund distribution of the 14th Finance Commission in the rural and urban local bodies from 2017-2020 under the panchayati raj department.
Addressing reporters at the press club here on Tuesday, the association said that “as per the guidelines of the 14th Finance Commission, funds should have been distributed equally among the urban and rural local bodies in the districts, based on their population.”
Presenting RTI documents, SAYA president Likha Rajnik claimed that “there is a gross violation of distribution and there is no transparency and accountability of the said fund by the department of panchayati raj.”
Claiming that there has been “partiality in distribution
for implementation of the projects under the Chief Minister’s District Innovation and Challenge Fund during 2019-20,” Rajnik said that “the state government has accorded allocation of funds only to 13 of the 25 districts.
“These include Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, West Siang, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Anjaw, Lohit, Namsai and Longding. The remaining 12 districts have been left out,” he claimed.
The association demanded a proper investigation in the matter and called for “bringing back the entire amount of Rs 150 crore which was distributed to various districts for equal distribution of funds among all the districts.”
The association also demanded postponement of the panchayat and municipal elections scheduled for December, claiming that “it is not an appropriate time for election, especially in this Covid pandemic situation.”
It also sought regulating the price of mithuns (gayal) in the state, citing its effects on the socioeconomic and cultural life of some sections of the local people who use the animal in religious activities and marriage ceremonies.
Rajnik requested that the state government regulate the price of a mithun within Rs 50,000 and make it affordable to all.
The association also demanded establishing proper parking places from Nirjuli to Chimpu for commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
It served a 10-day ultimatum to the state government to fulfill its demands, and said it would resort to a democratic movement if the government fails to meet it demands.
