ITANAGAR, 04.09.2023: The representatives of the Hollongi airport rehabilitation scam victims in their separate memorandums today to authorities of Arunachal Pradesh i.e. Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Vigilance Officer cum Chief Secretary and Director General of Police sought interventions against efforts of the anti-corruption cell of Arunachal Pradesh Police i.e. Special Investigation Cell to give clean chit to the accused of Rs 27.51 crore rehabilitation scam by not investigating the main allegation of the complaint i.e. not transferring the rehabilitation funds into the accounts of the displaced victims as required by the law. On 6 September 2022, the SIC registered FIR No.09/2022 under Sections 120(B)/ 406/ 409/ 420 of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Chakma Displaced Family Justice Demand Committee (CDFJDC) had filed complaints with the SIC against the project officials and leaders of the Chakma Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee ( CRRC) established by the Project Administrator i.e. Sadhan Kusum Chakma, author Paritosh Chakma from Mizoram, Bijoy Ranjan Chakma, Sambhasur Chakma, Dharma Chakma and others.
In its latest status report while giving clean chit to the accused persons, the SIC concluded that “the main issue is to ascertain whether commensuration of quality of works executed through the CRRC with the sanction funds of R&R exist on the ground”.
Countering this attempt to give clean chit to the accused, the representatives of the Chakma Displaced Family Justice Demand Committee (CDFJDC) in their memorandum today stated that the first operative paragraph of our complaint categorically states that “under Sections 31(2)(b) and 77(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 (LARR Act), the compensation award shall have to be transferred/ deposited into the bank account of each beneficiary. In February 2019, the compensation for the standing assets (like agriculture/horticulture etc) was deposited into bank account of each of the 156 displaced family in February 2019; but in February 2020 when it was come transferring the rehabilitation and resettlement amount to 156 families, Rs 18,20,23,8561 (eighteen crore twenty lakh twenty three thousand eight hundred and fifty six) was transferred into the bank account of Chakma Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee (CRRC), which was created by the Deputy Commissioner cum Administrator for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of project affected persons…. But not a single paisa was transferred into the bank account of each of the beneficiary.”
“However, one year after the registration of the FIR, the SIC has refused to investigate this particular aspect even though the bank statements of the CRRC with the Punjab National Bank, ltanagar Branch will reveal the truth as to whether the payments were made into the bank account of the displaced victims or not as required by the LARR Act. This investigation is not being done with the sole aim to give clean chit to the accused.” – stated Shri Koruna Sindhu Chakma, President of the CDFJDC.
The CDFJDC also highlighted various aspects of the SIC trying to give clean chit to all the accused such as justifying the unilateral cancellation of expression of interest for the contract worth Rs 18.20 crores to build the houses and awarding the same to the CRRC without any tender; covering the criminal acts of the CRRC office bearers of changing the entire DPR specifications of the residential structures admittedly without “prior approval from any competent authority” as an act of good faith; and further justifying spending Rs. 7.20 crore to clear the project site in anticipation of proposed visit of the Prime Minister though the PM was admittedly not scheduled to visit the project site!
The CDFJDC threatened to approach the High Court and the Supreme Court if clean chit is given to the accused by the SIC without investigating whether the rehabilitation funds were transferred into the accounts of the victims or not.
