Villagers in Arunachal Pradesh get nearly 38 crores as Compensation after 56 years of Indo-China War

It has been more than 56 years now after India’s war with China and finally, that time has come when the villagers of Arunachal Pradesh are considered eligible to get their dues which they were liable to receive ever since the Indo-china war. Notably, a huge land area of the native Arunachal Pradesh people was being acquired by the Army for setting up its bases, bunkers and barracks in order to prepare to fight with their counterparts. However, the locals whose lands were being acquired by the army were not paid their dues so long. That time has come now as the central government has decided to pay a compensation of nearly Rs 38 crore to the villagers who are liable to receive this compensation.

The cheques were being distributed by the Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu among the villagers of West Kameng district on Friday.

Rijiju, speaking to the media, says, “A total of Rs 37.73 crore has been given to the villagers. Those were community land. So the huge amount they received will be distributed amongst the villagers.”

Some of the notable names of the villagers who received a pretty sumptuous amount as compensation from the government are Prem Dorjee Khrimey, who received Rs 6.31 crore; Phuntso Khawa who got Rs 6.21 crore and Khandu Glow received Rs 5.98 crore. Other amounts are to be distributed among the villagers as per the quantity of their lands.

It has to be mentioned in this context that during the Indo-China war in 1962, huge tracks of land were acquired by the Army for setting up its bases, bunkers, barracks, construct roads, build bridges and other installations. The land was being captured but the villagers’ dues were left forgotten for so many years. Fortune came to the villagers only when the Kiren Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, persuaded the Defence Ministry and got the compensation amounts sanctioned.

Rijiju added, “Lands acquired by the Army were done in the national interest, but no government has bothered to pay the compensation to the villagers of Arunachal Pradesh since the 1960s. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for clearing it finally. Total cheques of Rs 37.73 crore were handed over.”