Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Apr 30: A joint delegation under the banner of United Trilateral has opposed the proposed transfer of a stretch of National Highway-913 (Frontier Highway) from the State Public Works Department (PWD) to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), submitting an ultimatum-cum-representation to the Chief Secretary.
The delegation comprised the All Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Students’ Union (AATSU), All Arunachal Indigenous Students’ Union (AISU), and the All Abotani Students’ Union.
Addressing reporters at Arunachal Press Club, AATSU president Apa Madu Donik said the proposed move by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, seeks to reassign portions of the Bomdila–Nafra–Lada stretch to the BRO, despite the work having already been entrusted to the State PWD in April 2023.
He expressed concern that such a decision could affect state interests, local participation, and transparency in project execution. Donik stated that the PWD has made considerable progress on several stretches, while alleging comparatively slower progress in projects handled by the BRO.
“Reassigning ongoing projects at this stage may lead to delays, duplication of efforts, and administrative inefficiencies,” he said.
The delegation also highlighted potential economic implications, noting that projects executed through the PWD generate agency charges and administrative revenue for the state. A transfer to the BRO, they cautioned, could lead to financial losses and impact the state’s development capacity.
Concerns were raised over local employment and contractor participation, with the organisations stating that PWD-led works enable involvement of local contractors and support the state economy. They apprehended that shifting the project to the BRO could reduce such opportunities.
On transparency, the delegation pointed out that while the BRO comes under the RTI Act, access to information may be limited due to security-related exemptions, potentially affecting public oversight.
While acknowledging the Centre’s authority over National Highways, the delegation urged the state government to take up the matter with the Centre for review, stressing that such decisions should align with public interest and fairness.
Among key demands, the groups sought safeguards including mandatory inclusion of local contractors and labour, compensation or agency share for the state in case of transfer, establishment of a local grievance redressal mechanism under the BRO, and greater transparency through disclosure of non-sensitive project details.
The delegation has given a one-week ultimatum to the Chief Secretary’s office to respond, stating that the issue is closely linked to the state’s economic interests, public participation, and cooperative federalism.