Monday Musing
[Junroi Mamai]
The department of Tirap and Changlang (DoTC) was created in the year 2003 (Longding district was later included in 2017) to address the unique socioeconomic challenges of these districts. However, despite the potential of this initiative, the DoTCL fund has been criticised for its ineffectiveness in delivering tangible benefits to the local population and has failed miserably to improve the lives of the people in Tirap and Changlang.
The TCL region is among the most underdeveloped regions in Arunachal Pradesh. These areas face significant issues such as poverty, lack of basic infrastructure, poor education and health facilities and insurgency-related disruptions. The DoTCL fund was introduced to address these concerns, aiming to promote socioeconomic development, enhance infrastructure and ensure peace and stability in the region.
However, the fund’s allocation and implementation have been fraught with inefficiencies, lack of transparency and management, resulting in little to no improvement in the quality of life of the local people.
One of the primary reasons for the fund’s ineffectiveness is its poor implementation. In 2021-22, the DoTCL allocated Rs 100 crore for various developmental projects in these districts; however, ground reports indicate that less than 40 percent of this amount was utilised effectively, with the rest either unspent or misallocated. A significant portion of the funds went towards administrative expenses,rather than direct community benefits. For instance, a proposed Rs 20-crore project for road construction in Changlang remained incomplete after four years,owing to oversight and corruption.
Another significant issue is the lack of involvement of local communities in planning and executing projects funded by the DoTCL. For example, a recent initiative to promote horticulture failed because the crops selected were unsuited to the area’s soil and climate conditions. This not only wasted resources but also discouraged locals from participating in similar initiatives.
Despite the fund’s existence, socioeconomic disparities in TCL districts remain stark. According to the 2021 Human Development Index (HDI) report for Arunachal Pradesh, both districts of Tirap and Changlang rank among the lowest in the state, with high poverty rates exceeding 45%. Literacy rates in Tirap (52%) and Changlang (58%) are significantly lower than the state average of 66.95%, highlighting the failure of educational initiatives funded by the DoTCL. Healthcare remains another neglected area. With only one primary health center for every 15,000 people in these districts, access to medical care is abysmal. Despite fund allocation for health infrastructure, facilities remain understaffed and under-equipped.
The DoTCL fund, despite its noble objectives, has largely failed to bring meaningful change to the lives of people in the TCL region. Poor governance, lack of transparency, mismanagement and insufficient local involvement have rendered the fund ineffective. To make the DoTCL fund more impactful, there needs to be a shift toward participatory planning, robust monitoring mechanisms and stringent accountability measures.
