Pangkang villagers sign MoU for Siang upper project amid local dissent
GUWAHATI
Amid resistance from nearby areas, residents of Pangkang village in Arunachal Pradesh signed a memorandum of understanding with the State government on Friday (May 23, 2025), paving the way for a pre-feasibility study on the proposed Siang Upper Multi-purpose Project (SUMP) in Boleng, Siang district.
A statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations described the agreement as a 'new beginning in community and government cooperation' aimed at exploring 'possible avenues for long-term local and regional prosperity along with national security.'
The Deputy Commissioner of Siang, P.N. Thungon, signed the agreement on behalf of the State Government, with Taba Tamut and Bakin Tali representing the villagers. The event was attended by the Minister for Panchayati Raj, Transport, and Cooperation, Ojing Tasing, and the Bharatiya Janata Party's State general secretary, Nalong Mize.
Mr. Thungon said the 11,000 MW project, if deemed viable and implemented, 'promises transformative benefits for the local community besides strategic defence and environmental resilience.'
According to the terms of the MoU, a development package of ₹5 crore is to be disbursed over three years for the enhancement of infrastructure, healthcare, and livelihood programmes for project-affected families. It also mandates stakeholder consultations as the project progresses.
Officials underscored the strategic significance of the SUMP, noting its role in counterbalancing China's extensive hydropower infrastructure on the Yarlung Tsangpo - the upstream segment of the Siang River in Tibet - while simultaneously offering economic empowerment and access to clean, sustainable energy to the local population.
'The villagers of Pangkang [also called Kumku] have shown incredible wisdom and maturity by deciding to cooperate with the government in the conduct of a pre-feasibility report for SUMP,' Mr. Thungon said. 'This is not only about power or water; it is about harnessing the potential of River Siang for the collective prosperity of the local area, the State, and the nation.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
43 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Rajasthan State employee who was detained earlier arrested for espionage
The Rajasthan Police's intelligence unit has arrested a State government employee on charges of spying for Pakistan. He had been under surveillance for suspicious activities for an extended period. The accused, Shakur Khan, was earlier detained on May 28 and subjected to an intensive interrogation by multiple agencies. Khan, 49, working as an assistant administrative officer (AAO) at the district employment office in Jaisalmer, was allegedly passing sensitive and strategic information to his handlers in Pakistan. He obtained Pakistani visas on several occasions and travelled to Pakistan without reporting to higher authorities. Inspector General of Police (Security) Vishnu Kant said here on Tuesday that Khan was in regular contact with some individuals working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, especially Ahsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, and Sohail Qamar. Danish was declared persona non grata by the Union government last month and was asked to leave India immediately. 'During his visits to Pakistan, Khan came in contact with the agents of the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI). He collected sensitive information after returning to India and transmitted it to his Pakistani handlers through WhatsApp and other social media platforms,' Mr. Kant said in a statement. Khan had access to sensitive documents while working in the border district of Jaisalmer. Since the matter constituted a serious security breach, a case was registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Khan was arrested, Mr. Kant said. A court in Jaipur, where Khan was produced under strict security on Tuesday, remanded him to police custody for seven days. Pakistani contacts As per the first information report, Khan had several Pakistani phone numbers saved in his three mobile phones, which have been seized and sent for technical analysis. He allegedly shared strategically important videos and images with his handlers on these numbers, but this material had been deleted. A native of Mangliyon Ki Dhani hamlet in Jaisalmer district's Badoda Gaon village, Khan served as a personal assistant to former Minister Saleh Mohammed during the previous Congress regime. Khan's association with Mr. Mohammed has led to a political controversy since his detention. Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said being a personal assistant to a Minister did not constitute a valid ground to implicate the Minister or his family in a crime. 'We have nothing to do with any criminal or anti-national activity. If the police have received some inputs, they should investigate and take action against the accused,' Mr. Dotasra said.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Lad promises comprehensive development of Alnavar taluk
Affirming his commitment towards the overall development of the newly formed Alnavar taluk, Labour Minister Santosh Lad has said that continuous efforts are being made to make Alnavar a model taluk by initiating various development works. Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Praja Soudha administrative building in Alnavar on Tuesday, he said that the State government had sanctioned ₹8.6 crore for the project. Mr. Lad pointed out that although the building was being constructed on the outskirts of the town, it would soon become central as Alnavar town will expand. He clarified that the Praja Soudha was being constructed on available government land in a location convenient for the public. The Minister said that under the Bhoo Suraksha project, 3,90,054 pages of land records in the taluk had been digitised and the digital records were being provided to the public from June 1. A permanent drinking water supply project at an estimated cost of ₹71.9 core had been initiated for 3,780 houses in Alnavar town, he said. Mr. Lad said that the existing six-bed primary health centre in Alnavar would be upgraded to a 30-bed community health centre. As much as ₹6 crore had been released for the restoration and rejuvenation of the canal and tail channel of Indiramma lake in Hulikeri village. About 80% of the work was completed and would benefit irrigation over 1,240 hectares of farmland in the taluk, he said.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
NHRC seeks Arunachal Pradesh report on protests against Siang Upper project
ITANAGAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took cognisance of media reports on protests by hundreds of people to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh, and sought a report from the chief secretary and state police chief. The commission cited a media report of May 23 on a human rights activist and convenor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum leading a protest by 400 people against the dam construction in Beging village. In a statement, NHRC said it had taken suo motu cognisance of the report 'that the residents are opposing the proposed construction of a dam, apprehending that it may result in the displacement of several people and adversely impact livelihood and ecology in the Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh'. 'Reportedly, to deal with the situation, the government has deployed central armed forces in various areas of the Siang district in the State,' the statement said. The commission said that the media report, if true, raise serious concerns of potential human rights violations and sought detailed reports from the chief secretary and the director general of police within two weeks. The commission's decision to take note of the protests comes days after a consultative meeting on the contentious project spiralled into chaos on May 27 as villagers opposing the mega hydropower project clashed with security forces and disrupted the proceedings. Days later, chief minister Pema Khandu said the project was still at the stage of a pre-feasibility report (PFR) and that the government would go ahead with the project 'based on the will of the people'. Khandu also reiterated that the project was of strategic importance and not just aimed at generating electricity. 'China's upstream hydropower plans are a serious concern for India. Unregulated release of water could cause massive flooding in Siang valley and parts of Assam. Conversely, if water is withheld, the Siang may dry up during winters,' he warned.
