NEW DELHI, 18 Feb: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, Bosiram Siram, along with the party in-charge for Arunachal Pradesh, Dr. A. Chellakumar, led a delegation of the Arunachal Democratic Party (ADP), headed by its president Tami Pangu and general secretary Kipa Natung, and accompanied by People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) vice president Kaling Jerang, to call on All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge here on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the delegation submitted a memorandum highlighting several pressing issues concerning Arunachal Pradesh, the APCC said in a release.
The key issues raised included the need to amend Article 371(H) to ensure stronger constitutional safeguards and greater autonomy for the state. The delegation also expressed concerns regarding the implications of the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2023, and the environmental, ecological, and socio-economic impacts of mega dam projects in the region.
The delegation further highlighted broader issues affecting sustainable development, the protection of indigenous rights, and environmental security in the state.
“Another major issue raised during the meeting was the alleged Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway compensation scam,” the release stated, adding that the delegation pointed out irregularities, corruption, and critical lacunae in the implementation of the Frontier Highway project in Arunachal Pradesh.
During the meeting, Siram expressed grave concern over the alleged Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway compensation scam and “the questionable alignment of the prestigious Arunachal Frontier Highway project.”
“The Frontier Highway was originally conceived as a strategic defence corridor, planned to run approximately 100 kilometres along the LAC (Line of Actual Control). The primary objective of the project was to strengthen India’s border infrastructure, enhance troop mobility, and ensure rapid strategic deployment in sensitive frontier regions,” Siram said.
The APCC alleged that the present alignment of the highway, in several stretches, does not extend to the actual frontier or border areas. Instead, it reportedly passes through villages and areas close to administrative centres, raising serious questions about deviation from its original strategic intent.
Terming the alleged land compensation irregularities in the Lada-Sarli stretch as one of the most serious corruption cases under the present BJP-led state government, the APCC demanded transparency in land acquisition records, public disclosure of compensation details, and an independent inquiry to fix responsibility.
The APCC further stated that Kharge responded positively to the concerns raised by the delegation and assured them that he would extend the necessary support in pursuing these matters at appropriate forums, the release added.
