OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: The Congress in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday demanded the immediate release of all protesters opposing the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), withdrawal of cases registered under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA), revocation of suspensions of government employees and village functionaries, and withdrawal of additional security forces from the affected areas.
The opposition party also sought white papers on the proposed Rs 350-crore livelihood and development package linked to the project and upfront payments received by the state government from hydropower developers, alleging that transparency and accountability were essential to address public concerns.
Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bosiram Siram told reporters at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan here that the government should address the ongoing protests through dialogue and democratic engagement rather than detention, punitive action and excessive deployment of security personnel.
He expressed concern over the detention of protesters, registration of cases under APUAPA, suspension of government employees and Gaon Burahs and Gaon Buris, and deployment of additional paramilitary forces, including CAPF, ITBP and RAF, in the SUMP-affected areas. Siram said peaceful protests over ancestral land, displacement, livelihood, cultural identity and the future of the Siang river were legitimate democratic expressions and should not invite disproportionate legal action.
The party demanded withdrawal of all cases registered by the State Investigation Cell (SIC) against SUMP protesters and revocation of suspension orders issued against government employees and traditional village representatives for their alleged involvement in the agitation. It also called for immediate withdrawal of additional security personnel from the affected villages, stating that their continued presence could aggravate tensions and undermine public confidence.
On the proposed Rs 350-crore livelihood and development package, the Congress sought details of its funding source, availability, implementation mechanism, beneficiary selection criteria, village-wise allocation and utilisation, besides the status of disbursement and monitoring.
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