Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 25 Oct: The All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) has issued a 20-day ultimatum to the state government to fulfill 10 demands presented to the Chief Minister.
Addressing the media at the Arunachal Press Club here on Wednesday, ANSU president Nabam Dodum, while highlighting the 10-point demand, alleged that the state government attempted to frame ANSU members in a police case.
He named three officials from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO): former Chief Security & Liaisoning Officer (CSLO) Kirli Padu (currently SP Changlang), DySP and former security in charge of the civil secretariat Moyir Basar Kamdak, and OSD to Chief Minister Lham Tashi for allegedly framing ANSU in a false case and called for action against them.
“On August 17, 2021, we had an appointment with the Chief Minister. When we were entering the civil secretariat, security officials at the gate misbehaved with us. This led to a slight altercation with security officials. To our surprise, an FIR was filed by the then DySP Moyir Basar Kamdak, which was unexpected. Later, we were assured that the FIR would be withdrawn, but it never happened,” alleged Dodum.
He also requested the transfer of OSD Lham Tashi. “It is ridiculous that he has held the position of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the same office for over 14 years. He has been serving as OSD to the Chief Minister since the late Dorjee Khandu’s time to the present day. Given these circumstances, ANSU demands his permanent departure from the Chief Minister’s Office and his transfer to a remote area of the state to serve the underprivileged. He was responsible for arranging our meeting with the CM on that fateful day but used his government position to act against ANSU’s interests,” he claimed.
ANSU has also called for the immediate repeal of the Arunachal Pradesh District-Based Entrepreneur and Professional (Incentive Development and Promotion) Act, 2015. “This act is discriminatory in nature and should be abolished. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to participate in the tender process across the state. The government talks about uniting the people, but this act is a source of division,” said Dodum.
The union demands restrictions on non-indigenous contractors participating in development projects for Arunachal Pradesh under the Ministry of Road and Transport Highway, NHIDCL, BRO, etc., and an increase in the bidding capacity of class-I contractors registered under the government of Arunachal Pradesh up to a capacity of 200 crore, enabling them to participate in upcoming projects.
“Arunachal Pradesh is a protected state and outsiders should not be allowed to participate in the tender process. It is often seen that they submit very low bids during the tender process. After winning a bid, they sub-contract the work to local people and take a percentage. This results in project failures and pushes local contractors to the brink of bankruptcy,” he said.
ANSU also called for the revitalization and comprehensive improvement of government schools through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to rejuvenate the state’s decaying government-run schools.
“The compelling need for the immediate implementation of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in our state’s education system is to achieve quality education and ensure the right to education for all children. The quality of education in Arunachal Pradesh is of paramount importance for the development of our youth and the overall progress of the state. Quality education cannot be achieved solely by the Department of Education unless there is proper road connectivity, healthcare facilities, teaching and non-teaching staff quarters, electricity, water supply, and the involvement of community-based organizations in the respective localities,” he added.
Other demands include the mandatory introduction of moral education as a subject up to the eighth grade, the compulsory involvement of private and public companies in school development, and the immediate establishment of a mechanism for clean elections.
“For clean elections, there must be transparency in the allocation of funds. Fund allocations should be carried out through a transparent and fair process, avoiding any potential for favoritism or bias. Government funds should not be used during elections. We will monitor the activities of the finance and planning department in this regard,” the union added.
The union also accused NHPC of acting against the interests of Arunachal and attempting to dilute Article 371H and USF in court. “Unless NHPC clarifies its position on these two issues, we will not allow NHPC to execute any projects in the Nyishi belt. Even in the Dibang multipurpose project, NHPC has allegedly mistreated locals and failed to provide them with proper compensation,” he alleged.
ANSU also urged the state government to oppose the Forest-Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023. “This act is against the interests of tribal communities in the state, granting undue power to the union government in the name of projects for national interest. We should vigorously oppose this legislation. If implemented, the Act will lead to extensive deforestation, extensive disruption of the landscape, and overall destruction of the sources of perennial streams in selected forest areas, resulting in the loss of flora and fauna and threatening the delicate balance of our ecosystem,” he added.
Lastly, ANSU demanded the immediate inclusion of post-graduate courses at Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar, and Government College, Doimukh.
