Boundary row: Forum urges GoAP to seek people’s consent

Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, 26 Mar: The Papum Pare District Border People’s Forum on Sunday urged Chief Minister Pema Khandu to issue clear instruction to the regional committee of Papum Pare district that, before taking any decision during the meeting with its Assam counterpart, it should consult the public of the affected areas in the district.

In a statement, the forum said that the people of Papum Pare settled along the boundary areas welcome the initiative to resolve the interstate boundary issue.

The state government is convening a review meeting of the regional committees of various districts on Monday.

“Before taking any decision during the regional committee meeting, the authority should discuss with the affected villagers,” the forum said, and added that “the resolution of 9 January, 2023, of both regional committees was not agreed to by the public of Papum Pare, particularly against the points of looped system, cadastral and 500-metre width adjustment to Arunachal Pradesh.”

It added that, as per the Namsai Declaration, four villages – Banderdewa, Tani-Happa, Tarajuli and Pichola – in Banderdewa circle have already been declared as Arunachal’s territory, “so the proposal for resurvey or re-exercise  should not be accepted by our regional committee of Arunachal Pradesh.”

The forum also requested union Law Minister Kiren Riiju, Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao, and R   ajya Sabha member Nabam Rebia to “intervene in the matter” and urged “the central leadership” to “give decision on the wish of the public who are settled near the border areas.”

“Any decision taken should be in the interest of human settlement,” it said.