The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Tuesday sought the early interference of Chief Minister Pema Khandu in the Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) compensation scam and urged him hand over the case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a fair and impartial investigation.
A delegation of the APCC led by its vice-president Minkir Lollen called on the chief minister at his office here and submitted a memorandum apprising him of the multi-crore embezzlement while disbursing compensation to the beneficiaries in the portions of TAH at Lower Subansiri and Kamle districts of the state.
The Congress in its representation pointed out that the TAH compensation scam halted the double-lane work of the Potin-Bopi stretch and alleged that a high-level nexus was behind providing benefits to a few people by depriving genuine landowners and farmers.
Besides demanding for a CBI probe into the matter, the party also sought immediate re-assessment of the entire stretch of road and early completion of the construction work.
Payment of immediate land compensation to the genuine land owners/affected people and arrest of all those involved in the scam were the other demands of the Congress.
Chief Minister Khandu after hearing the reference narrated by the Tamchi Tahar and Rajen Nani, both members of the TAH Assessment Committee of APCC, said the case is presently taken up by Special Investigation Cell (SIC) of the state’s police department.
The SIC had on July 3 last arrested former Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner Kemo Lollen, District Land Revenue and Settlement Officer (DLRSO) Bharat Lingu and businessman Likha Maj for their alleged involvement in the compensation scam in the Joram to Koloriang portion of the TAH.
Khandu, who assured that the state government is taking up the issue seriously, asserted that all those involved in the scam would be punished accordingly irrespective of their position, status and political affiliation.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein was also present during the interaction. He explained that the reduction of breadth of the Right of Way (RoW) from 24 meters to 14 meters was only for the town and government establishment areas and not for the entire stretch of road.
The Congress had also accused Mein of being involved in the scam.
Among others APCC general secretary cum the party’s TAH Assessment Committee chairman, Tamchi Tahar, former minister Bida Taku, NSUI state unit president Teli Mello Camdir were present on the occasion.
