ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, Oct 6: Expressing concerns over the possibility of erosion of community land rights of the indigenous people of the state, the Save Arunachal Save Indigenous (SASI) has demanded justifications from the state government over its claim on the issue of Unclassed  Forest (UF) land in the state.
Addressing at the Press Club, President SASI  Debia  Muj  said, “Some private power developers and the government undertakings  in collusion with certain leader of the state is conspiring to snatch the land and forest of the indigenous people by arguing that the New Land Acquisition Act 2013 should not be implemented in the state as it is under Article 371 (H) wherein people have no right over land and forest.” 
While demanding a well-defined law to protect the indigenous land rights, the SASI spokesperson SD Loda said there is no Unclassed Forest in the state. 
“Media reports are coming-in from the Dibang Valley  that the NHPC in collusion with some vested leaders of the state is trying to snatch the land rights of the indigenous tribes by delaying the payment of compensation by raising the unnecessary UF issue,” Loda said, expressing apprehension that today it is Dibang valley, but in future, it could be any other place of Arunachal. 
“SASI demands that the state government should strive for immediate resolution of the UF dispute, declaration of community land and forest, immediate payment of the already awarded compensation and prompt action against such corporations who are delaying the process on the pretext of UF by scrapping the MoUs,” he asserted.
The SASI spokesperson further alleged that instead of ensuring protection for the indigenous people, the representatives of the state are becoming a part of such nexus. 

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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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