Students’ body seeks probe into dual status of Tibetan refugees
Our correspondent
Itanagar, May 31: The All Tawang District Students’ Union (ATDSU) has demanded the State government to constitute a committee for verification of those Tibetan refugees in Tawang district who are availing benefits of both ST certificate and refugee cards. The ATDSU, which is spearheading the ongoing ‘Operation Clean Drive’ in Tawang, said there are many families in the district who are availing benefits of having both an ST certificate and refugee cards.
“Tawang is in danger from outsiders. Indigenous rights are in danger,” said Operation Clean Drive chairman Pema Tsering in a statement here.
Stressing the need for a committee for verification of dual beneficiaries, he said as per the official records there are 199 refugee card holders in the district. But with many inclusions, since the directives issued by the State government in 2002, their number now stood at more than 1000 individuals.
“The State government had issued a directive to the GBs of Shyo village in Tawang to issue ST certificates on the basis of genealogical tree prepared on the basis of an agreement made in 1936. Accordingly, 90 families were issued ST certificates,” he claimed.
Tsering further claimed that the family of three Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) aspirants from Tawang, Dr Sonam Tsomu, Dr Sonam Dolma and Dr Pema Dolma, who were selected for MO (Allopathy) in recent examination under the ST quota, don’t have any mention in the list of 90 families. Thus, their ST status is questionable.
Demanding immediate cancellation of their candidature after proper verification, he said that they have written to the APPSC in this regard and the commission has asked Tawang DC to verify the claims.
Meanwhile, the union also sought the State government’s action against all the private buildings which are constructed after encroaching government lands and quarters in the district, claiming that there are more than 80 buildings which were constructed after encroaching government land and quarters.
Claiming discrepancies in issuing land allotment, he also said that there are two instances of land allotments made to private individuals who have constructed buildings near Children Park and only two meters away from a government quarter.