Arunachal Congress urges PM Modi to act on special package, OPS, SUMP concerns
The Arunachal Cong warns against the Siang mega dam, citing risks of displacement and ecological damage, pushes for OPS restoration
A file image of APCC (Photo: @INCArunachal/x)
Itanagar, Sept 21: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, the State Congress unit, in an open memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister today, urged him to address what it described as “pressing issues that strike at the very heart of Arunachal’s future”.
Welcoming Modi to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, the Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee said that the visit must not be treated merely as a ceremonial event, but as an opportunity to respond to the socio-economic distress, political marginalisation, and growing development challenges facing Arunachal Pradesh.
The memorandum, jointly signed by Arunachal Congress unit general secretaries Kon Jirjo Jotham and Chera Taya, highlighted four key demands: a comprehensive new special development package, amendment to Article 371(H), halt to the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Reminding the Prime Minister of the Rs 24,000-crore special package announced by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during the UPA government, which it said laid the foundation for connectivity and modernisation in the State, the APCC said: “Today, after more than a decade, Arunachal faces new challenges – unemployment, poor connectivity, flood vulnerability, border insecurity, and opposition to unsustainable mega dams.”
It demanded a fresh package focusing on infrastructure and connectivity, sustainable energy, health and education, employment and youth development, border development and security, agriculture, tourism and economy, and flood and climate resilience.
The memorandum further described Article 371(H), which grants the Governor discretionary powers over law and order, as “outdated and unjustified” in a democratic era. While Nagaland and Mizoram enjoy strong Constitutional safeguards for their land, forests, and cultural practices, the people of Arunachal Pradesh are vulnerable to land alienation, mega dams, and centralisation of power, it added.
The Arunachal Congress unit demanded that Article 371(H) be amended in line with provisions under Article 371(A) and 371(G), ensuring recognition of tribal rights over land and resources, mandatory Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of communities before projects, protection of customary laws, languages, and cultural identity, and Gram Sabha supremacy in governance, similar to PESA provisions in Scheduled Areas.
The memorandum also mentioned opposition to the proposed 11,000-12,500 MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). The Congress warned that the dam would submerge 27 villages, displace over 1.5 lakh tribal people, and threaten fragile Himalayan ecosystems in a region located in Seismic Zone V.
The fourth demand centred on restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in place of the New Pension Scheme (NPS). Terming NPS “market-linked and risk-laden,” the Arunachal Congress committee said that it undermines social security.
Correspondent