ITANAGAR, Apr 17: The East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organisation (EKSWCO) on Friday flayed the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for its alleged failure to act effectively in the Lada-Sarli land compensation scam, and called it as a toothless tiger.
Chairman of the EKSWCO’s Lada-Sarli Compensation Issue Committee, Chopa Cheda termed the ACB a “toothless tiger,” claiming that it is “functioning under the influence of the chief minister and the home minister, as the CBI does under the prime minister and the union home minister,” which has allegedly hindered action against the key accused.
Cheda alleged that, out of nearly Rs 100 crore meant for genuine beneficiaries, only Rs 11 crore has been recovered so far, while the recovery drive is yet to begin, depriving beneficiaries for several months. He further claimed that the ACB has so far “arrested and re-arrested” only the district land revenue and settlement officer (DSLRO) and later a beneficiary.
“It is not the beneficiaries who should be targeted, but the officials who enabled the corruption, including the then deputy commissioner who had signing authority over cheques,” he said.
He added that, while that DSLRO has reportedly admitted to his role, the government has not made the report public. “The main accused are still roaming free, while the ACB is busy seizing empty accounts,” Cheda alleged.
The organisation also expressed concern over the delay in releasing the final report of the fact-finding committee constituted by the state government.
Cheda claimed that withholding the report could be an attempt to shield the involvement of ministers, MLAs and senior officials in the scam.
Cheda said that the East Kameng deputy commissioner is expected to be directed soon to initiate a recovery drive, as assured by fact-finding committee chairman AK Singh, and demanded that the process be expedited.
The Lada-Sarli road is a key stretch of the proposed Arunachal Frontier Highway along the India-China border, aimed at improving connectivity in remote areas.
Allegations of inflated land records, ghost beneficiaries, and diversion of compensation funds surfaced last year, leading to arrests of revenue officials and sparking widespread outrage among local communities.
