Itanagar: The Tato-II Hydro Electric Project, Fair Compensation Demand Committee Forum (THEPFCDCF), has raised serious concerns over the disbursement process of land compensation for the 700 MW Tato-II Hydro Electric Project in Tato, Shi-Yomi district.
The committee has accused the district administration (land acquisition authority), the agency responsible for the compensation, of lack of transparency and unfair practices in distributing compensation to landowners affected by the project.
According to THEPFCDCF, there has been a lack of clear communication from the authority regarding the criteria used for determining compensation amounts.
The committee in a representation submitted to the chief secretary’s office on Tuesday stated that many affected landowners have not been provided with adequate information regarding how the compensation figures were arrived at, leading to confusion and distrust in the community.
The process of filing complaints or seeking clarification regarding compensation has also been described as arduous and opaque, with some landowners allegedly coerced into signing blank acceptance letters without knowing the compensation amount offered.
Moreover, THEPFCDCF has alleged discrepancies in the compensation amounts awarded to different landowners for similar portions of land, raising suspicions of unfairness in the compensation process.
The committee has also raised concerns about the embezzlement of funds allocated for land compensation, noting discrepancies between the amounts landowners were supposed to receive as per the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013, and the actual amounts received.
It also alleged that the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), the project implementing agency was not invited/included in the compensations disbursement process.
THEPFCDCF chairman Kiran Rinya has demanded immediate action to cease unfair practices and called for a thorough investigation into the allegations of embezzlement and unfair disbursement of compensation.
The committee has threatened to launch a democratic movement to address these issues and ensure justice for all affected landowners.
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