Arunachal under Sixth Schedule will boost progress of State: Padi Richo

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh being a fund-poor State mostly depends on Central grants for all its developmental activities, Northeast Congress Coordination Committee (NECC) general secretary Padi Richo said recently, adding that it could be reversed by amending the Constitution of India to bring this State under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Pointing out that the Statehood Act, 1986 is defective which has deprived indigenous Arunachalees from land rights, he said the BJP presently ruling in the Centre as well as in this State could easily brin the desired amendment that would end the State's dependence on the Centre.

Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur have land rights but not Arunachal Pradesh, which was granted statehood along with Mizoram the same day. Mizoram is protected by 371(G) by Constitution (53rd amendment) Act, 1986 and Arunachal was granted under Article 371(H), he said.

The huge mineral resources in the State could be the panacea for solving all financial problems subject to environmental clearance supported with the Centre's initiative to fast track development projects, Richo said and regretted that the central government delayed and gave forest clearance for oil exploration in 13 oil wells in Namchik-Nampuk in Changlang district in 2019 after 14 years after repeated pleas.

"Such inordinate delay contradicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who after enacting Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill in July 2017 had termed it as an example of "cooperative federalism, which has worked, particularly in the fiscal space where the changes made have resulted in more leeway to the States to design their own policies," Richo pointed out.

"When New Delhi manages the control button, how can States like Arunachal Pradesh with huge untapped natural resources, achieve economic independence?" he questioned.

The senior Congress leader also asked the State government to clear the outstanding compensation payment of the Potin-Bopi stretch of the proposed Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) as it had announced to pay all compensation to the land affected people by this month. "The payment would prove the honesty of the government to its past commitment," he added.

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