Officers instigating people to claim compensation: Gadi

Our Correspondent

Itagar, March 10: PWD Minister Gojen Gadi today admitted involvement of officers up to the rank of deputy commissioner in instigating people to construct illegal structures along the Trans Aruchal Highway (TAH) for claiming huge compensation.

Responding to a short duration discussion raised in the assembly by Independent MLA Paknga Bage, Gadi assured strong action against those officers as directed by Speaker bam Rebia in his ruling.

Expressing concern over the issue which has become a bone of contention in expediting the ambitious project causing inordite delay, the minister informed that a high level committee was constituted which would go into the issue for assessing the compensation claim.

He said, in a recent high level meeting, the home minister and the MLAs have given their observation in this regard.

“Action will be initiated against such officers who have indulged in instigating the people to construct illegal construction along the Right of Way (RoW) in the TAH to claim exorbitant compensation,” he emphatically said adding, the problem was only in the Abotani belt but not in Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts where people were cooperating with the government.

He pleaded the members to create awareness among the people in their respective constituencies.

Participating in the discussion Home Minister Tanga Byaling called for introducing a resolution in the house for demolition of illegal structure which, he said, would ultimately vested with his department.

“Such problem will crop up even in comprehensive power transmission line project to be executed by the Power Grid of India Limited (PGCIL) in the state,” he added.

Accusing the opposition for boycotting the session and abstaining from participating in such an important discussion, Congress MLA Mutchu Mithi said that the Trans Aruchal Highway which could be treated as the backbone of the state had mired with controversy.

Stating that TAH envisaged uniting people of the state from Tirap to Tawang district, Kanubari MLA Gabriel Deng Wangsu said, “Compensation has become a deadly disease in the state which is going to pose a serious challenge in all the future projects.”

Wondering whether the TAH project would ever see light of the day, Wangsu pleaded the state government to initiate corrective measures to remove the lacue. Initiating the discussion Bage urged the government to direct the respective DCs to check illegal constructions.