APCC seeks guv’s intervention in TAH compensation scandal

Itanagar, Jul 17 (PTI): The Arunachal Pradesh PCC has sought the early intervention of Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra in the Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) compensation scam and urged him to direct the state government to hand over the case to CBI or any other central investigation agency.

A Congress delegation led by the PCC president Takam Sanjoy submitted a memorandum to the governor apprising him of the embezzlement while disbursing compensation to beneficiaries in portions of TAH in Lower Subansiri and Kamle districts of the state, a party release informed here.

The governor assured the delegation to look into the matter at his own level and to take it up with the Centre as well as the state government.

He also said that the corrupt should not be spared at any cost irrespective of any political party.

Special Investigation Cell (Vigilance) sleuths had arrested the former Lower Subansiri deputy commissioner Kemo Lollen, district land revenue and settlement officer Bharat Lingu and businessman Likha Maj for their alleged involvement in the compensation scam in the Joram to Koloriang portion of the TAH on July 3 last.

Lollen during his tenure as deputy commissioner is alleged to have been involved in gross irregularities in the assessment and disbursement of compensation in the TAH project.

The defrauding involved inclusion of fake and nonexistent persons to whom compensation had been awarded.

Earlier, the compensation scam had evoked protests from different quarters with some of the local organizations claiming that the district authority under Lollen had released huge payment to “artificial” beneficiaries who did not have a single structure along the TAH alignment.

The state government had constituted a high level fact-finding committee headed by the home commissioner to look into the allegations following the protests.