Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Oct 28: The Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (Adivasi) Congress has questioned the state government’s hydropower policy, demanding transparency in memorandums of agreement (MoAs) signed for projects across the state and greater consultation with affected indigenous communities amid continuing unrest over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the organisation’s chairman Tami Pangu claimed that the BJP-led government had signed MoAs for around 153 hydropower projects across eight river basins in the state.
According to Pangu, the projects are distributed across the Tawang basin (11), Kameng basin (42), Dikrong basin (17), Subansiri basin (18), Siang basin (35), Dibang basin (14), Lohit basin (13) and Tirap basin (3).
He alleged that even smaller streams, including the Senkhi River in Itanagar, had been included in the agreements, while crores of rupees had been collected as processing fees and upfront premiums from developers.
Maintaining that the Congress was not opposed to development, Pangu said projects must be pursued with public consent and respect for indigenous rights. He alleged that several agreements had been signed without adequate consultation with affected communities.
Pangu claimed that the allocation of river streams for hydropower projects began in 2007, following the fall of the Gegong Apang government. He said the Arunachal Pradesh Power Policy, 2005, was subsequently amended to introduce non-refundable upfront premiums in addition to processing fees for companies seeking hydropower projects.
On SUMP, Pangu asserted that the project was not part of the earlier hydropower projects covered by signed MoAs and that no agreement or upfront premium had been recorded for it.
He further alleged that SUMP was conceived to adjust Rs 252 crore received from NHPC for the Tawang-I and Tawang-II projects, which he described as failed projects. He questioned the rationale behind SUMP, characterising it as a diversion, replacement and financial adjustment.
The Congress leader also alleged that the government was seeking to advance the proposed project despite public opposition. He said resistance to hydropower projects was extending beyond the Siang belt to the Subansiri basin, reflecting concerns over community participation in decisions involving land and natural resources.
The organisation demanded the cancellation of all MoAs signed without Gram Sabha approval and adequate public consultation. It also sought disclosure of the upfront premiums collected from hydropower developers and fresh consultations with Gaon Burahs, community-based organisations, student unions and affected families.
Further, it demanded that any future MoA be signed only after obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of affected communities, citing the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
“Development is what we want, but not at the cost of our land, rivers and future generations,” Pangu said.