ITANAGAR, Mar 14: The Galo Welfare Society while taking strong note of the latest committee on Lower Siang, the sixth one in a series, has rejected further creation of any committees on Lower Siang District and Kora Circle in particular while terming it as a “clear indication of the State Government’s indecisiveness and an approach to suppress the voice of the people.”
Demanding an immediate call off of the activities of the latest committee under Secretary (Industries) Hage Tari, the GWS has asked to fully operationalise Lower Siang District on the basis of the Arunachal Pradesh (Re-Organization of Districts) (Amendment) Act 2013 (Act No. 2 of 2014) published vide Notification the 3rd March 2014 in toto which was passed by the State legislative assembly.  GWS also said that it shall “henceforth speak with the Chief Minister on any issue related to Lower Siang District and no other committee or official shall be entertained.”
So far five committees have been constituted for the same issue without any rhyme or reason. The last committee i.e., the Group of Ministers (GoM) under the chairmanship of Kamlung Mossang and two other Cabinet Ministers namely Bamang Felix and  Mohesh Chai with Prince Dhawan IAS as Member Secretary of the committee visited Kora circle and Nari and conducted elaborate public hearing and recommended explicitly for immediate operationalisation of Lower Siang District with inclusion of Kora circle under Lower Siang District. The highest level  GoM recommendation was just and sufficient ground for proper demarcation of Lower Siang District which has been functionalised in namesake without proper notification of the same thereby complicating the operationalisation of the Lower Siang District which was created  with the three other districts namely Siang, Namsai and Kra Dadi based on popular demands of the immediate stakeholders under the established sanctified decision of the highest law making body Legislative Assembly of the State after detailed deliberations by all the legislators. All the three other districts created alongside Lower Siang are now functioning smoothly whereas; the proper functionalisation of Lower Siang has been delayed with constitution of committees after committees, the GWS said in a release this evening.
The GWS further said that the creation of the latest sixth committee with Secretary (Industries) Hage Tari, as its Chairman could be known only through his (Tari’s) communiqué with the Lower Siang District and East Siang Deputy Commissioner dated March 9th wherein he had written for holding meeting with few selected participants on March 15 and 16 at Pasighat and Likabali respectively for proposing inclusion/exclusion of Kora circle from Lower Siang District.
The very act of holding meeting at separate places with few selected people on the whimsical considerations with sudden suppressed notice speaks volumes about the intention and purpose of the meeting. Also, when there is separate department for District Administration in the State with a full time Secretary, why is the State Government using the table of a separate department to issue orders for affecting a dynamic which is contradicting and doubtful in nature and approach?
The GWS has also questioned the Lower Siang District Administration for phone calls and giving verbal instructions in a berserk manner to local people residing in Kora circle to bring relevant documents for the March 16 meeting at Likabali without issuing any notice or letter. GWS considers the present exercise is a clear attempt of dividing the people of Lower Siang District in general and Kora circle on communal lines thereby diluting the Act which has already been passed and accented by the Governor of the State. The inordinate delay on the part of the Government to implement the Act and to act upon the recommendation of the highest level GoM for immediate operationalisation after properly conducting the public hearing of the stakeholders of Lower Siang at Nari and Kora circle seems to be a classic case of step motherly treatment on the part of State Government as seven years have passed since the Lower Siang District was notified, the release further said.

Rejecting any attempt of the government to illegally favour any particular community and giving credence to outdated ideology for creation of district on communal proposition and politicization of an issue, the GWS cautioned that such delaying and complication of the matter will lead to further confusion and mistrust among the people which may eventually lead to law and order problem in coming days for which  the State Government shall be solely responsible.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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