Hallongi airport rehab scam: Action demanded against Papum Pare DC over delay in SIC probe

Itanagar, July 1: The representatives of the Hollongi Airport rehabilitation victims on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Lt Gen Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik, to instruct the Chief Vigilance Officer to investigate the delay of the Deputy Commissioner of Papum Pare district to submit the report of the Technical Board for comparative examination with actual DPR components.

Altogether 156 Chakma families were displaced by the Hollongi airport. The state government sanctioned Rs 27.51 crore for their rehabilitation and resettlement but the same had been misappropriated. On March 10, 2021, the victims filed a complaint against the Chakma Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee office bearers, including Bijoy Ranjan Chakma, Sambasur Chakma and Dharmo Chakma.

In its status report dated June 5 to the Guwahati High Court (Itanagar Bench) in PIL No.17/2021, the Inquiry Officer of the SIC stated that as of April 29, 2024, three reminders were sent to the Deputy Commissioner but the Technical Board Report has not been submitted as yet. Therefore, further proceedings could not be initiated.

“These facts expose beyond any reasonable doubt the systematic delay adopted by the Deputy Commissioner, Papum Pare district to complete the technical examination of the components of the RR project. This delay only favours the alleged especially given the fact that the IO in his status report dated 12/03/2024 confirmed the allegations of corruption and criminal misappropriation of Rs 27.51 crore sanctioned for rehabilitation and resettlement of the 156 Chakma families displaced by the Hollongi airport,” said Karuna Sindhu Chakma, President of the Chakma Displaced Family Justice Demand Committee (CDFJDC) and a signatory to the memorandum.

The systematic delay in completing the technical examination of the RR project’s components only institutionalises state corruption, he added.