Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 22 Aug: The land lease for the ex-servicemen settlement in Vijaynagar under Changlang district expired in 2020, according to information provided by the Yobin Welfare Society (YWS) during a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here on Thursday.
Addressing reporters at the APC, YWS president Ngwazosa Yobin said that they have been reminding the state government that the land lease has expired. He informed that one Mengpa Haisa, a ZPM from Changlang North who is not a resident of Vijaynagar, is claiming land compensation in the ex-Assam Rifles settlement area.
While appreciating the state government for approving the Arunachal Frontier Highway especially, prioritizing the Miao to Vijaynagar road, Ngwazosa also highlighted a notification issued by the GoAP earlier this year in February, promising fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition.
Ngwazosa stated that the Changlang district administration has deprived landowners residing within 40 to 80 miles of the Miao-Vijaynagar road of their land compensation. He continued, “There are several villages along the MV road, such as Aguhomu (Nibodi), Josadi, Midodi, Yachejolo, Yacheley, Sichoto and others. Some of these villages have existed since the 1930s. These villages are genuine forest dwellers and deserve land compensation.” He further mentioned that during the survey for compensation, the area covered ranged from 80 miles to Vijaynagar hqtrs without any public notification or announcement. The YWS also expressed shock at the inclusion of non-APST settlers in the list of beneficiaries, identifying at least 36 names.
The YWS has appealed to the state government to rectify the situation so that genuine villagers residing within 40 to 80 miles receive their land compensation and to cancel the beneficiary list for land compensation issued by the Namdapha authorities. It also urged the government to remove the 36 non-APST beneficiaries from the list. The YWS emphasized that, in the Vijaynagar settlement area, only Yobins can claim land rights and called for the cancellation of the ZPM’s compensation claim.
