2011

January  - 04

News Highlights

An open letter to chairman, board of management, NERIST

Dear Editor,

We would to place our long awaiting demands/grievances for immediate action. It is rightly included into this context that earlier many memorandums have been submitted to your good office for the interest of poor and needy unemployed youths of this locality, but no action has ever been taken till date.

Job opportunities: At the time of establishment of NERIST, the local land owners had donated their lands with a thoughtful consideration that the unemployed youth of the local Panchayat, specially the dependents of land donors will get job opportunities. But the NERIST authority never took it seriously. The NERIST authority also neglected the reservation criteria of ST, framed by the Government of India (Vide No.36017/1/2004, dated 5/7/2005).

Recently, many people have been recruited, but these people are not from the locality and   have been recruited either on contract or regular basis or through back door system, hence, violating the rules.  Therefore, we request you to take this matter seriously as we are about to move the Court through PIL as many deserving people of the locality are being deprived and not being considered for the posts in various categories.

Contracts & supply works: The local contractors are also deprived of executions of works, supply of items in NERIST. The local land donors expected to get some works to execute in NERIST. But the NERIST authority has never thought of awarding the works to the poor local people, though the Director, NERIST had circulated the minutes of meeting held on 26/12/2000, instead some of the officials are involved in awarding of works and contracts in the names of their kids and kin.

Seat reservation: Since the NERIST was established on the land which was partly donated by the local people with the expectation that their children will get opportunities in NERIST for higher studies, but NERIST has no provision for reservation of seats for children of local land donors. Therefore, we demand that 5% of seats earmarked for APSTs be reserved for the inhabitants of Nirjuli Panchayat.

Community gate/passage: Though the NERIST authority in accordance to the order issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Papum Pare (Vide no. DC/PA/Misc/2006 dtd.2/3/2006), have now opened a gate between NERIST complex and Nirjuli Panchayat, there are tribulations concerning the timings of the opening of the gate, which causes hindrances to the lives of your immediate neighbors and land donors as well i.e. the people of Nirjuli Panchayat, as they have got their daily business with the SBI, Post office, Telephone office, Health units etc, within  NERIST campus since long. Therefore we would like you to kindly look into the matter seriously and set a permanent timing for the opening and closing of the gate keeping in minds the needs of the people of the Nirjuli Panchayat.

Under these circumstances, we on behalf of People of Nirjuli Panchayat and General Public as a whole request you to solve the grievances at earliest possible, as to live in peace and harmony in days to come and assure to cooperate with the Director for  betterment of Arunachal Pradesh as a whole.

Yours,

(Teli Bani)           

(Nabam Lama)

ASM, Nirjuli Panchayat           

GPM, Nirjuli Panchayat

 

 

Anini and her woes

Dear Editor,

Rajiv Mihu has rightly pointed out the living condition of Anini. Otherwise a most beautiful abode of our community, today it is known as place for punishment posting.

This condition has prevailed for last twenty years consequently affecting  generations of students. It has led to largest school drop outs as compared to other parts of the state. AIMSU/AAPSU/DVSU periodically knocks the door of our leader and the system but till date they have been unable to bring solutions to it.

Department fails to post ST/JT/ATs to only Higher Secondary School of our District. Teachers opt for other places than this place because it is termed as Kala Pani. This is due to our leadership. We are unable to develop this place at par with other districts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is the failure of our leader to articulate problems to the System and set right the conditions of the area. But this blame game will not achieve anything rather it will further the suffering of our children and innocent public.

Arunachal Pradesh govt must intervene by launching a separate Arunachal Pradesh Remote Area Service Commission to recruit Group “A" "B"& "C" for all departments except Engineering Department to sort out the similar “languishing syndrome” of all such places in the State.

And if possible the Govt may also declare our District as Backward to uplift the infrastructural conditions.

Yours,

Eri Tayu

Anini (on email)

 

 

A new year gift

Dear Editor,

The news article 'Assam organisations assure cooperation' came at an appropriate time and as a new year gift from Assam to the people of Arunachal Pradesh.

The inter-state consultative between Adi Bane Kebang(ABK) and various organizations of Assam is a watershed in the relationship between the two neighbouring states wherein Arunachal has been assured of full cooperation and protection while travelling through Assam during bandh calls.

The hardships faced by the commuters of Arunachal has for long been a bone of contention between the two states. This outcome of the inter-state consultative must be given widespread publicity in Assam and our govt should also make utmost use of this opportunity to oblige its Assam counterpart any time a bandh call happens to take place in Assam.

Kudos to ABK and the various organisations of Assam.

Their initiative may not be the end all, but at a time when the state is marred by corruptions and scams, they have shown us how much happiness such precious little things can bring to our lives.

Yours

Moli Riba

Delhi University,  

(on email)

 

 

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All email and surface mails must be accompanied with contact numbers and full postal address. Do keep writing but please make sure that letters are short and to the point.        

----Editor

Readers Forum

Tagru wins 3 gold medals in National Youth Weightlifting Championship

M. Doley

ITANAGAR, Jan 3: Fresh from his medal winning performance at Penang, Malaysia, upcoming wightlifter Hitlar Tagru rewrote history by clinching three gold medals in 6th National Youth Weightlifting Championship being held at Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, today.

Tagru won all three gold in snatch (96 kg) clean and jerk  (122 kg) and total with 218 kg in 62 kg weight category, according to an information received from Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Joint Secretary and Arunachal Weightlifting Association president Techi Abraham this evening.

Tagru lifted 6 kg more than his last effort in Malayasia. He had an effort of 212 kg in Malayasia last month which fetched him a Bronze medal.

Hailing from remote Tali area of Kurung Kumey district, Tagru is student of Army Sports Institute, Pune.

A total of  nine weightlifters from Arunachal Pradesh, including Yukar Sibi, are participating in the championship organized by Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

The team members are, (Boys) Yukar Sibi, Soram Hitlar Tagru, Yamin Ruyi, Sambo Lapang, Tinchat Wangso, Kojum Taba, Roman Langpu, (Girls) Menu Tajo, Takio Yana.

Kumar Doka is the coach of the participating team.

 

Only Time Will Tell

Tom Simai

In so many years, under myriad schemes, to access the interior territories of our hilly state, road of various length and designs has been curved, considering the accessibility to add smile every other mile by augmenting the rural economy.  Millions of rupees from central alms have been diverted since our NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency) days and still equivalent amounts are pumped through numerous flagship programs to accomplish the target but yet there are countless places in as many precincts where tracking by foot is the only option to reach the destinations.

I wonder why, after so many years and millions of rupees later, still walking is the only option to reach most of the interior villages. What might be the reason of such devastating failures? How come all the money has evanesced without any trace and most significantly without fulfilling its real purpose.

Reality check - as we traverse the police check gate and drive into our state ‘choked by potentials’, the deteriorating thoroughfares embellished with potholes in designer shapes and sizes cordially greet us, notifying with an irritating grin about the hellish journey towards home.  

Believe me, once driven on these roads, even the most luxurious car of the world tagged as a ‘masterpiece of engineering’ will tremble with terror while defining the word ‘comfort’. Moreover, out here we don’t need gym as there are enough short and deadly curves in every stretch to tone our muscles while wrestling with the steering wheel.

Amusingly, our all-weather-roads are so brittle that every droplet of rain has the efficacy to procreate massive potholes. May be because of this, we dribble through the potholes instead of driving on road. Ridiculously, with the passing of the four seasons, the durability of the newly laid all-weather-roads also ceases silently.  

Reason – paucity of technology, innovation, and gambling with quality to accrue ‘triple ace’ profits. Ironically, the drawbacks were identified long before we were born but yet there seems no apparent effort to rectify the frailties.

Moreover, speaking about the flaws, it is sort of tradition of department concerned to just replicate the designs from the archive files whenever the proposal of a new road or a bridge or a building is tabled. Result – Arunachal Pradesh can boast of scariest roads, weakest bridges and ugliest buildings in the world. Is innovation, creativity, technology and honesty, state’s fiercest enemy?

In fact, it is a valid reason, when geographical constrains inducing technical complication is put forth as an explanation for lessening the durability of those petite and horrible roads. In such backdrop, how sensible it is to clone the failed formula frequently, when it is certain to cause technical problems that grimly jeopardize the projects lifespan. And when project fails, at the receiving end, it is always the rural populaces living below the poverty line.  

Criticism apart, it is anticipated that in days to come the mega ‘Trans-Arunachal-Highway’ (TAH) project, besides connecting villages, circles and districts HQ, will forever change our driving and travelling experiences through those gruesome terrains. At least for time being, we’re optimistic that it’ll spare us from using obscenities that comes out spontaneously with every violent jolt, every other second while driving.  

Back to reality, TAH - the most audacious project of all time has already initiated its first calculative step and it’ll take some more years before it takes the conclusive steps. And it is claimed that this time around, there won’t be any space for failure or flaws as technology will administer the complete work process.

Finally, when it is completed, will it stand the test of time? Will it ensure pothole free travelling? Will it be an emblem of regional prosperity? Or like always, the beaming potholes and partial washouts will greet the travelers on its very first summer, only time will tell. (The writer can reached at simaitom@gmail.com)

 

New year Day at CRC Pasighat

Itanagar, Dec 3: The New Year Day which is also observed as ‘Name Giving day’ of Lord Jesus Christ was celebrated and observed at Christian Revival Church Pasighat.

The two day long celebration witnessed sports, songs and dance competitions, prayers, praise and worship, cake-cutting, merry-making and a community feast.

APCRCC vice-president David Pertin attended the programme as speaker. He said that, “with the stepping into a new year, one should renew and recommit oneself to serve the society with love and respect for others”.

Pastor T. Pada and Organising Secretary of the celebration committee Nyali Ete also spoke.

 

Plight of a Primary School

Tom Simai

JAIRAMPUR, Jan 3: In the backdrop of state government’s endeavor to upgrade the state’s educational standard and infrastructures, the existing predicament of Taipong village primary school under Jairampur circle of Changlang district comes as a severe blow, shattering the claims and promises of quality education and adequate facilities for the bucolic populaces.

Reportedly, this academic session, the admission of myriad pupils from nearby villages and areas were barred due to the paucity of electricity, safe drinking water, furniture’s and a toilet.

Established in 2006, given the facts, it has only enhanced the despair of the young kids. Depicting the ancient times, they still have to sit on the floor as it has only 5 desks and 5 benches for 3 classrooms to cater the needs of 29 students.

From the school campus, the village is almost 200 m away and the young students walk the weary distances to quench their thirst directly from the running water tap, informed Lomha Ronrang, Assistant Teacher who is also the in-charge of the school. It’s insalubrious to gulp water directly from the source but we’ve no other option but to let them drink, he deplored.

During summer the situation worsens, the small kids reach school draped in mud and due to non-availability of water within the premises we let them attend the class untidy, he said. ‘Most significantly, round the year, because of water crisis the preparation of mid-day meal is severely hampered, he included.

Besides, desk and benches, we also lack cupboards to safely store the official documents and earlier, due to non-existent toilet, the students willfully littered the campus, thankfully, now the problem has been solved as the villagers have built one, he added.  

Accusing the concerned departments for the prevailing problem experienced by the primary school, Anchal Samity Member Samtu Simai informed that our consistent postulation to HoDs has been worthless as they refused the help with countless excuses.

In reality, the PHE department had ample of metal pipes in the storehouse to fulfill the schools need but the JE denied the allocation for the village school as he reserved his priority for a private school where his children studies, divulged Simai.   

Ludicrously, the JE instead of performing a field survey and rendering a solution, suggested us to approach the local administration for fund under BADP or DoTC so that they could lay the water pipeline under this scheme up to the school campus, he added.

Furthermore, the newly appointed Taipong village education committee chairman Nonglop Tikhak also encountered similar experience while approaching the Power Department. He said that our request for the electrification of the school was flatly refused by the AE and JE stating that the project will be too expensive for the bankrupt department.

Meanwhile, condemning the negligence of the concerned authorities in dealing with such serious issue, District Youth Congress president James Jugli appealed for immediate solutions and threatened to opt for democratic movement if they failed to resolve this long pending demand of the villagers.

 

Tirap celebrates Indigenous Faith and Culture Day

KHONSA, Jan 3: The Tirap Indigenous people’s Society (TIPS) on 31st Dec celebrated the Indigenous Faith and Culture Day throughout the length and breadth of the District.

In Khonsa, the celebration was marked by the processions of the students of all the schools of the District Headquarter, from all the six different locations, who later converged at the Khonsa main market bus-stand.

In his keynote address, the secretary of the TIPS, Chaphung Wangsu highlighted the present precarious scenario of the Indigenous Faith and Culture. It was celebrated at Deomali and Barap in  a grand way.

At chasa, Noksa, Tupi, Khela and Thinsa villages, the Day was celebrated with traditional fervour and colours. The participants in all these locations were in traditional fineries and costumes.

Traditional local games and sports, folk songs and dance competitions, socio contact and traditional matters deliberations were the main attractions in all these locations. Everywhere, the people were happy and receptive to the TIPS propositions to preserve the ages old indigenous culture. The open resolves to rejuvenate the traditional faith and culture were eminent from the participant’s enthusiasm.

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News Impact

Contractors’ demands

ITANAGAR, Jan 3: All Arunachal Registered Contractor Association (AARCA) has demanded the authorities concerned to implement compulsory joint venture system thereby enabling local contractors to participate in global tender bids.

AARCA in a release said that local contractors are not yet eligible to compete in any global tender and outsider contractors are availing the opportunity due to absence of appropriate class contractors among the locals.

The association also demanded induction of its members in tender boards of various work departments to ensure free and fair tender.