Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 15: Anti-corruption activist Sol Dodum has claimed that the corruption allegations and anomalies in the Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway Package 4 and 5 land compensation cases are just the tip of the iceberg.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Dodum stated that a mere makeshift structure in the Package-4 and 5 stretch – which had gone viral on social media – received land compensation worth Rs 1.15 crore.
Dodum further alleged that the magnitude of corruption in the frontier highway land compensation process is beyond imagination. “In the Bameng area, you will even find a futsal ground included in the compensation list, whereas there are hardly any proper roads or electricity in the mentioned area,” he said.
“In Package-2 of the Frontier Road, there are names of individuals who don’t even own a single piece of land. Isn’t this a matter of concern?” asked Dodum, while demanding that the state government institute a Special Investigation Cell (SIC) to probe all the mentioned packages and unearth the truth.
Dodum also cited a case where a landowner was supposed to receive Rs. 2.30 crore as compensation, as per the prepared bill. However, the individual allegedly received only Rs. 30 lakh. According to Dodum, the landowner was asked by the DLRSO to submit a blank cheque, which he complied with. Later, he discovered that the actual compensation amount was around Rs. 2.30 crore, but he was handed only Rs. 30 lakh.
Dodum went on to allege that the DLRSO claimed that the remaining Rs. 2 crore would be shared among the Chief Minister, the concerned minister, and the local MLA. However, The Arunachal Times could not independently verify the veracity of these allegations made by activist Sol Dodum.
“I really don’t know whether the Chief Minister, the concerned minister, and local MLAs are actually involved in this corruption or not,” Dodum stated.
He argued that public suspicion is growing over the alleged involvement of high-level officials in the multi-crore scam. “Why hasn’t DLRSO Takam Kechak been arrested yet, even after openly admitting to mistakes?” questioned Dodum.
“Had this been under Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma or Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Takam Kechak would have already been arrested,” he claimed.
“When the thief himself admits to committing the crime, why is the government reluctant to arrest him and maintaining stoic silence? Is the government shielding the DLRSO and the Deputy Commissioner?” he asked.
Expressing strong concerns over discrepancies in the disbursement process, Dodum stated, “There have been clear lapses in the distribution of compensation, with huge variations in payment rates. Some received a lower amount for the same square meterage, while others received hefty sums.”
He demanded the immediate arrest of the deputy commissioner and DLRSO of Seppa, alleging their involvement in the multi-crore compensation scam. Dodum also called for a thorough inquiry into the matter by central agencies such as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
Following allegations of anomalies in the disbursement of land compensation, the state government, under public pressure constituted a Fact-Finding Committee headed by IAS officer Saugat Biswas, which recently conducted a spot verification at Package-5.
