Itanagar, Aug 1: The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has appealed to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to take up four major issues concerning Arunachal Pradesh during the ongoing Parliament session, including strengthening Article 371(H), opposing the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), addressing alleged Chinese border incursions, and restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The appeal was made by APCC president Bosiram Siram, who submitted a memorandum to the Congress leadership while attending the AICC review meeting on the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan in New Delhi on Saturday.
In the memorandum, the APCC alleged that the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state had failed to adequately protect the constitutional, economic and territorial interests of Arunachal Pradesh.
The party argued that Article 371(H) does not provide sufficient constitutional safeguards for indigenous communities and called for its amendment to ensure protection of customary laws, traditional institutions, land ownership, natural resources and tribal identity, similar to the protections available under Articles 371(A) and 371(G).
Reiterating its opposition to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, the APCC said the project could have serious environmental and social consequences in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. It claimed the project may lead to displacement of indigenous communities, submergence of ancestral lands and forests, damage to biodiversity and cultural heritage sites, and increased geological risks. The party instead advocated smaller run-of-the-river hydropower projects and renewable energy alternatives.
On border security, the APCC expressed concern over reports of alleged Chinese PLA incursions and infrastructure activities along the India-China border and sought greater transparency from the Union Government. It demanded a White Paper on reported incursions, a detailed statement on the ground situation, stronger border infrastructure, enhanced surveillance and special development packages for frontier villages.
The party also renewed its demand for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, stating that the New Pension Scheme links retirement benefits to market performance, exposing employees to financial uncertainty. It called for guaranteed pension security and consultations with employee organisations on pension reforms.
Siram urged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to strongly raise the issues in Parliament, saying they reflect the concerns and aspirations of the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
The APCC added that it would continue to highlight issues relating to unemployment, governance, corruption, land rights, environmental protection and border security in the coming months.