Following sustained pressure from activists and the East Kameng Social Welfare and Cultural Organisation (EKSWCO), the state government has reportedly issued a recovery order worth Rs 114 crore in the Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway land compensation scam.

The Land Department confirmed the file has been forwarded to the chief secretary for approval. Officials, however, did not disclose the exact total amount marked for recovery.

The Lada-Sarli Frontier Highway, part of the Arunachal Frontier Highway/NH 913 under Packages 1–5 covering a 125–126 km stretch in East Kameng and Kurung Kumey districts, has been mired in compensation irregularities allegedly worth Rs 100–130 crore.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had sanctioned Rs 241 crore, including administrative costs, for land compensation on this stretch. Of this, Rs 224 crore was released. Reports suggest over Rs 100 crore was disbursed against bogus claims, inflated asset valuations, and fake beneficiaries.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested former East Kameng DLRSO Takam Kechak and others. At least 4–5 officials have been suspended. Brokers accused of facilitating bribes were also detained. Assets worth Rs 9 crore have been frozen and recovered so far, while ACB investigations are ongoing.

Recently, the project stretch was transferred to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) amid poor response in re-tendering, concerns over contractor concentration, and delays in compensation disbursal. The construction timeline is set at 3 years with 5 years of maintenance, but progress remains slow due to fallout from the scam.