News Analysis India

Tag: Pema Khandu

  • FIR filed against Arunachal CM Pema Khandu over Kimin row

    By Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: A students’ organisation in Arunachal Pradesh has filed an FIR with the police against Chief Minister Pema Khandu in connection with the controversy surrounding Kimin.

    During Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s June 17 visit to the Arunachal town to inaugurate some border roads, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had allegedly renamed Kimin as “Bilgarh”, showing it as a part of Assam’s Lakhimpur district.

    In the FIR lodged on Thursday, the All Arunachal Pradesh Abo Tani Students’ Union alleged that Khandu had connived with the BRO authority to cede the Kimin-Potin portion of Arunachal to Assam.

    Claiming that it has evidence to proceed against the CM in any competent court, the students’ organisation asked him why he betrayed the people of the state.

    “When a serious matter such as this arises, it is his duty to inform the citizens,” the organisation said.

    It insisted that the long-standing land disputes between Arunachal and Assam must not be flared up.

    Over the past few days, various organisations in Arunachal slammed the BRO for “misguiding” the Defence Minister. BJP MP from the state Tapir Gao had said the venue of Singh’s event was Kimin and it is well within Arunachal.

    He said ahead of the Defence Minister’s event, the word “Arunachal,” written on landmarks and structures in Kimin, were covered with “white paste”.

  • Report your drug addiction or face legal action, Arunachal Pradesh CM warns govt employees

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: With drug addiction surpassing the stage of alarm in Arunachal Pradesh, the Himalayan state has launched a war against the menace on multiple fronts.

    Amidst a statewide drive against natural and synthetic drugs, the government has decided to go after employees addicted to it. The government will make it mandatory for them to report their drug addiction to senior officers.

    “The government will be issuing a notification very soon, asking all employees to report their addiction to drugs, if any, to their senior officers,” Chief Minister Pema Khandu said.

    The government will issue a deadline for the same and following its expiry, if any government employee is found addicted to drugs, s/he will face legal actions, he warned.

    Official sources said people are addicted to natural as well as synthetic drugs and the addicts include women and minors. Addiction to opium is widespread in the eastern Arunachal districts.

    “Drug addiction in Arunachal is above the alarming level. Around 13-15 districts are affected by the menace of synthetic drug addiction. We are all concerned,” Oli Koyu, who is the Nodal Officer of State Anti-Narcotic Bureau, told The New Indian Express on Tuesday.

    Locals say the youth, especially from urban areas, are increasingly falling prey to synthetic drugs.

    The Arunachalees have been addicted to opium from the British era. If it gives them the kick, it also helps them eke out a living. A section of the opium growers is also its traders.

    “A lot of people in the eastern Arunachal districts grow opium to earn a living. We have to give them an alternative livelihood option,” Koyu said.

    According to doctors, addiction to opium causes sleeplessness and indigestion besides other neuropsychiatric-related problems.

    Basamlu Krisikro, who is an organic tea grower from Wakro in Lohit district of eastern Arunachal, claimed the government’s drive against poppy cultivation was only on paper.

    “There is a massive cultivation of poppy in Wakro. I haven’t seen a drive against it. People from diverse fields are involved in it as there is money,” Krisikro, also known as the “Tea Lady” of Arunachal, said.

    She inspired 16 poppy growers to take to organic tea plantation. Three of them were opium addicts and she managed to reform two.

  • Arunachal to ask Centre for dereservation of some reserve forests: CM

    Many reserve forests at foothill areas were hampering the execution of development projects, Khandu informed the assembly.

  • Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu monitors projects, pulls up officials over slow development work in some districts

    By PTI
    ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday monitored the work being undertaken for various development projects in the state, and asked all deputy commissioners to ensure both central and state-run schemes are implemented properly.

    Khandu, while chairing the first monthly assessment meeting — ‘Arunachal e-Pragati’ – over video conference, said district officials would be directly answerable to him for any shortcoming, an official statement here said.

    The meeting was also attended by the state chief secretary, planning and finance commissioners among others.

    Unhappy over the progress of work along the Joram-Koloriang part of the Trans-Arunachal Highway, he called for latest updates from the site, and a monthly status report, the statement said.

    The chief minister also sought early completion of Miao-Vijaynagar road in Changlang district, stressing that the governor’s office was monitoring the project and “any inordinate delay in its completion will not be tolerated”.

    “Please remember ‘Arunachal e-Pragati’ is not another review meeting. This is a meeting to monitor projects, and all officers, including those executing central projects, will be answerable. Therefore, your personal involvement in the execution of a project is necessary,” Khandu asserted.

    The CM also examined the status of the work undertaken for an under-construction greenfield airport at Hollongi, establishment of Ekalavya Vidyalayas, upgrading of district hospitals, and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission and Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

    Khandu took serious note of pending work in “non-performing” districts, particularly in the execution of PMGSY scheme and Jal Jeevan Mission, and directed officials concerned to inspect the work sites from time to time.

    Seeking a status report on the cluster farming scheme of the government, he invited suggestions to improve the process of its implementation from field officers and district administrations.

    “Send in your comments and suggestions. Go for corrective measures,” he stated.

    Addressing the deputy commissioners, the chief minister further said that they should keep local legislators in the loop, as and when they face any hindrance.

    Official sources said ‘Arunachal e-Pragati’ shall hence be held every third Monday of the month, and departments will be intimated well in advance about the projects and schemes that would be monitored.

  • Maj Bob Khathing who established India’s administrative authority over Tawang to get his dues, finally

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: An Army officer, who had effectively established India’s administrative authority over Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in 1951, will get his dues, finally.

    Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday announced that his government would recognize the contributions of Maj Bob Khathing by constructing a memorial.

    Maj Khathing is relatively an unknown figure for most of Arunachal and India but the people of Tawang still remember him with respect for being the sole Indian official to come as their saviour when the Chinese threat loomed large.

    He served in the British Army and fought World War II. A British officer, who found the pronunciation of his name “Relengnao” a bit difficult, decided to call him Bob and he came to be known by it.

    During World War II, Maj Khathing served in the famous V Force and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. He was also a recipient of the Award of Member of the British Empire.

    He was inducted into the Tirap Division as an Assistant Political Officer in November 1950 and posted to Pasighat and then to Kameng Division with headquarters at Charduar.

    Maj Khathing is believed to have embarked on an arduous journey from Charduar with a team of soldiers from 5 Assam Rifles on January 17, 1951. This was the first such expedition to negotiate the extremely-hostile terrain in sub-zero temperatures on the route.

    To establish Indian presence up to the McMahon Line, demarcated as the border between India and Tibet in 1914 under the terms of the Simla Treaty, required covering the area on foot. But Maj Khathing and his troops had managed to reach Tawang on February 6 the same year. The frontier region was then sparsely populated and the road network was practically non-existent.

    He met and interacted with a number of village chieftains and effectively established authority over Tawang. Indian administrative presence was thus established in this remote part of the country.

    “Not many of us are aware of Maj Khathing and his contribution to Arunachal. Once the memorial is constructed, visitors will come to know about him and his contributions,” Khandu said.

    He said the foundation stone of the memorial would be laid on February 14, the day it is believed Maj Khathing hoisted the Tricolour in Tawang. “This memorial will be our tribute to him,” Khandu added.