| Staff Reporter |
Itanagar, Jul 8: Social activist Sol Dodum has raised serious allegations of irregularities in the land compensation process related to the Lada–Sarli stretch of Frontier Highway Project in East Kameng district.
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here on Tuesday, Dodum claimed that the District Administration, including the Deputy Commissioner and District Land Revenue & Settlement Officer (DLR&SO), withheld compensation details from landowners until after they had signed acknowledgment receipts—calling the practice “deceptive and unethical”.
He cited discrepancies in compensation amounts, highlighting that one landowner was awarded just Rs 1.8 lakh for 2,000 square metres of land, while a neighbouring landowner received Rs 25 lakh for only 700–800 square metres.
“How can there be such a huge gap between two adjacent land parcels? Clearly, this process was neither fair nor scientific,” he claimed.
The social activist further alleged that the process lacked scientific verification, as no proper field surveys or satellite mapping were conducted. Instead, the administration relied on verbal inputs from Gaon Burahs, which, he said, allowed personal bias to influence compensation figures.
He also pointed to violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, which mandates public notice, field inspections, and full disclosure of compensation details—procedures he claims were ignored or selectively applied.
In separate letters to the Chief Minister and the Land Management Minister, Dodum urged that the transfer of DLR&SO Takam Kechik be withheld until a full inquiry is completed, warning that the officer’s transfer could hinder transparency and obstruct justice.
Dodum also announced plans to meet Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Nitin Gadkari in Delhi to seek central intervention for an impartial investigation.
The controversy has triggered public outcry, with growing demands for re-verification of land records, greater transparency, and accountability in the compensation process.