ITANAGAR, Aug 20: The All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) has urged the Centre to shift the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Regional Office, currently functioning from Tezpur in Assam, back to Itanagar, warning that continued delay could force the union to launch a “rigorous but peaceful and democratic movement”.
In separate representations submitted to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP national president Nitin Nabin, the ANSU said the regional office was intended to cater to Arunachal Pradesh and that its continued functioning from outside the state was creating administrative difficulties and affecting coordination and monitoring of strategically important road projects.
The union has also approached Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao, Rajya Sabha member Tai Tagak and state BJP president Kaling Moyong, seeking their intervention in the matter.
ANSU president Ashok Doka said Arunachal Pradesh, being a strategically important frontier state, requires accessible and responsive institutions for effective supervision of major road infrastructure projects, including the Frontier Highway.
The union said the MoRTH regional office had earlier functioned from Itanagar before being shifted to Tezpur. Its restoration to the state capital, it said, would facilitate better coordination with the state government, district administrations, executing agencies and local stakeholders, besides enabling quicker resolution of field-level issues.
ANSU further said the regional office has reportedly been assigned additional jurisdiction over Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya, but maintained that this should not be a reason for keeping the office outside Arunachal Pradesh. It instead sought adequate manpower, technical officers and infrastructure to enable the office to discharge its responsibilities effectively from Itanagar.
The Arunachal government has also backed the demand. In a letter dated August 17 to the MoRTH Secretary, the state Public Works Department said the request had merit in view of the state’s administrative requirements and public convenience, and urged the ministry to take an appropriate decision in favour of the people of Arunachal Pradesh.
ANSU also alleged that certain road syndicate groups and other vested interests may be attempting to influence the functioning of the regional office for their own benefit. It said such allegations, if established following appropriate verification, would raise concerns over transparency and responsive governance.
The union said it had earlier approached Chief Minister Pema Khandu on July 7 over the issue and appreciated the state government’s subsequent efforts to pursue the matter with the Centre.
However, ANSU warned that failure to consider the demand within a reasonable timeframe would be viewed seriously and could be treated as “step-motherly treatment” towards Arunachal Pradesh.
The union expressed hope that the Centre would take an early decision and restore the MoRTH Regional Office to Itanagar.