ITANAGAR, Sep 27: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has constituted a Study-cum-Fact-Finding Committee to assess the situation in the Siang region and other areas affected by proposed mega hydropower projects, particularly the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
The committee was constituted by APCC president Bosiram Siram in view of concerns raised and protests by project-affected communities, as well as reports of deployment of paramilitary forces in the region.
APCC working president Tanga Byaling has been appointed chairman of the committee, with former MP Takam Sanjoy as vice-chairman, advocate Tami Pangu as member secretary, and Daniel Gao and Johny Yangfo as members.
According to the APCC, the committee will undertake interactions with affected families, village elders, community organisations and other stakeholders to assess the social, environmental and livelihood implications of the proposed projects. It will also examine concerns related to land acquisition, rehabilitation and security deployment before submitting a detailed report with its observations and recommendations within 15 days.
For village-to-village visits, a sub-committee headed by Tami Pangu has also been constituted. It includes representatives of the APCC, East Siang and Upper Siang District Congress Committees, district tribal councils and other organisational units.
Appeal for joint delegation
The APCC has appealed to political parties, civil society organisations and community groups to participate in the proposed field visits, saying the issue of mega hydropower projects has implications for land, livelihoods, environment, culture and the interests of indigenous communities.
Byaling has invited representatives of political parties, the Adi Baane Kebang (ABK) and its youth wing, ABK (United), Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) and its youth forum, student organisations, community-based organisations, PRI representatives, Gaon Burahs and Gaon Buris, women’s groups, youth organisations and affected villages to nominate at least one representative within three days to accompany the sub-committee.
The APCC said the proposed exercise would provide an opportunity to hear the views and concerns of stakeholders, document ground-level information and prepare a representative report for submission to the government and people of Arunachal Pradesh.
The party appealed to all stakeholders to work towards a peaceful and democratic resolution of the concerns surrounding the proposed projects.