[ Bini Yurom ]

ITANAGAR, 14 Jul: The United Arunachal People’s Forum (UAPF) on Monday demanded an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe into alleged irregularities in the construction of the Dari-Chambang road in Kra-Daadi district, reiterated its opposition to the installation of smart electricity meters in Arunachal Pradesh, and announced a mega rally on 8 August to press the state government to act on its three-point memorandum.

Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club, UAPF president Khyoda Daniel said the forum had already submitted its three-point memorandum to the state government and had sent two delegations seeking action. However, he alleged that, despite the expiry of the ultimatum issued by the forum, the government has not responded.

Speaking on the Dari-Chambang road project, Daniel said the UAPF carried out a spot verification of the road on 8 July after notifying the media, local organisations and the authorities concerned in advance. He said the forum had invited officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), district authorities, public representatives and members of the public, so that the inspection could be conducted transparently.

However, Daniel alleged that no executive engineer, assistant engineer, junior engineer or any other PWD official attended the inspection. He further claimed that no district official or local public representative was present, despite prior intimation. According to him, the presence of departmental officials would have enabled the public to verify the condition of the road jointly and address any doubts on the spot.

Sharing the forum’s observations, Daniel alleged that the project suffers from serious technical deficiencies. He claimed that several portions lack proper drainage, plastering and bracing works, while the water bound macadam (WBM) layers have not been executed according to engineering specifications. He alleged also that certain stretches measured only about 2.7 metres in width, which, he said, is inadequate for a road serving as the lifeline of the Chambang area.

Calling for immediate action, Daniel urged the state government, Home Minister Mama Natung, the ACBand other investigating agencies to inquire into the project and take legal action against officials responsible for supervising the work, approving bills and releasing payments if any irregularities are established.

He further demanded that the executing agency, M/s BM Balomook Enterprise, be blacklisted. According to Daniel, terminating the contract alone would not be sufficient if public funds have been misused. He urged the government to recover any money found to have been wrongly utilised and use it for reconstructing the road according to the prescribed standards. He warned that if no action is initiated, the forum would intensify its agitation through democratic means.

Responding to criticism over repeatedly mentioning Cabinet Minister and local MLA Balo Raja, Daniel said the forum was referring to him in his capacity as the elected representative of the constituency and not because of any personal differences. He questioned why the department had not publicly clarified the allegations or initiated action if, according to the government, no irregularities had occurred.

Daniel also levelled allegations regarding certain renewable energy projects, claiming that, while Balo Raja was serving as power adviser, along with Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, power project tenders were awarded at inflated costs. Citing what he claimed were findings from reports of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India and other Government of India documents, Daniel alleged that a project initially estimated at around Rs 213.74 crore was subsequently revised with an additional Rs 163 crore, increasing the total project cost to approximately R s 376.77 crore. He further alleged that around Rs 51.66 crore had been paid without corresponding work and demanded that the government investigate the matter, recover any public funds found to have been misused and deposit them back into the government treasury.

Daniel said corruption affects development and deprives citizens of quality infrastructure. He urged people from all communities to unite against corruption and support efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in public projects.

Speaking on the second point of the memorandum, UAPF general secretary Dango Mama reiterated the forum’s opposition to the installation of smart electricity meters in the state. He alleged that the move is aimed at paving the way for privatisation of electricity distribution through the public-private partnership (PPP) model, and claimed that the proposal is nearing approval.

Mama appealed to residents not to allow smart meters to be installed in their homes, alleging that electricity tariffs would rise sharply once the system becomes operational. According to him, domestic consumers currently pay around Rs 4 per unit, while commercial consumers pay approximately Rs 5.10 per unit. He claimed that the introduction of smart meters could increase tariffs to Rs 6, Rs 7 or even Rs 10 per unit.

He further alleged that consumers  have little control over billing under the smart meter system, and referred to a statement by the union power minister claiming that smart meter installation cannot be made mandatory or forced upon consumers.

Reiterating the forum’s demands, Mama called for complete withdrawal of the smart meter programme and urged the government to provide 1,000 units of free electricity to every household in Arunachal. He argued that, since the state is rich in hydropower resources, its people should directly benefit from the electricity generated within the state.

Announcing the forum’s next course of action, Mama said the UAPF would organise a mega rally on 8 August in the capital to press for implementation of its three-point memorandum. He appealed to residents from every district, colony and sector of the state to participate in the rally and support the forum’s campaign.