The Pare Project Land Affected Welfare Committee (PPLAWC) has alleged that the NEEPCO authority conducted the recruitment of junior engineers by overlooking the local candidates. Two junior engineers selected for the Pare Hydroelectric Project (PHEP) are reportedly non-Arunachalis, which has angered the PPLAWC. This is a very serious allegation and needs to be looked into. The land-affected people should always be given preference when conducting such recruitment drives. The project-affected people often have to make immense sacrifices. They are forced to vacate the land which they called home for centuries.
Leaving the land where their ancestors lived is never easy. It is not only NEEPCO, most of the hydropower developers operating in the state have utter disregard for the local indigenous communities. They only love the resources available in the state but have no affinity for the people. The representation of Arunachalis is much less in the NEEPCO, the NHPC, etc. This is one of the main reasons why locals often oppose hydropower projects. First of all, they have to part ways with them and secondly, they are not given proper job opportunities. The state government should look into this matter very seriously and take action against those hydropower developers who have no regard for the local sentiments.