GOVERNMENT OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PRINTING
NAHARLAGUN
IPR (PR) 3/2006
Dated the Naharlagun April 5, 2006
PRESS RELEASE NO 200
SEPPA, April 5: The power-starved people of Seppa sighed with relief when
finance Minister Shri Kalikho Pul assured to allocate specific fund for running the
D.G. Set of Seppa for a longer period to increase the hours of power supply in the town. The announcement came when the town reels
under acute power crises for last one month following break down of one of the turbines of Seppa mini hydel and pressing demands from all the
legislators, officers and public for restoration of power supply in the town. While announcing, Shri Pul instructed the deptt. officials to
increase hour of supply from two to at least six hours daily. Shri Pul, in a mission to involve the general public in revenue
generation and planning process of the state was speaking at a public meeting in officers club, here on April 4 last
during his first leg of the three district tour of East Kameng, West Kameng and
Tawang.
The Minister who visited the power house, District Hospital, Hr. Sec School, Sec. School and other Developmental project sites of the town
agreed that the infrastructural development of the district in general and the town in particular is not in tune with the Silver Jubilee Year of
its existence as an independent district. A lot could have been done with the already allocated fund, he opined.
Referring to the damages caused to the school buildings by few in disciplined students and
encroachments to govt. premises, he termed it as a bad trend .The practice should be stopped, adding that one doesn't have
the right to harm or destroy the property of the society. All this he said with a reference
Informing the financial position of the state, Shri Pul, recalled and thanked the leaders and officers of union
territory days who used the limited resource judiciously for the development of the state. The state
had seen a real development then and after the 1990s the development has decreased despite increase in fund allocation. There is no lack of fund
today he said, adding that every project is given adequate fund but nfortunately the projects are never completed with that fund in time.
Such trend shows that the problem lies with us Pul said and appealed the general public to be
vigilant by availing the Right to Information Act, to check officers from misusing fund. In the same vein, Shri Pul also
advised the public not to pressurize the officers by intimidating or threatening them to prepare bills or issue cheque where there is no fund
or where no work has been carried out.
The Finance minister said that the state govt. has to generate its own revenue to repay its liabilities. Adding that requirement has risen to a
great extent and allocation from the centre is very negligible, Shri Pul sought the cooperation and support of all, businessman, contractors,
govt. employees and general public by paying tax, royalty etc and vigilant by checking leakage of revenue in the process of collection.
The govt. has also reviewed the royalty rates on boulders and other forest and mineral products and has also combined check gates of VAT,
forest etc with the police check gates. This is another step to check leakage of revenue, he informed. The Minister further informed that the
govt. is planning to invest loan components of fund on revenue generating projects to improve the financial scenario of the state.
He further urged the students to respct the elders and teachers which is a prime duty of a student from where they get blessings and help. This
would go a long way in shaping their future ,he said. "When you don't have good foundation,
you are bound to fail in exams, to avoid failure in exams, you resort to unfair means in exams, at last you will be
unemployed. Adding thatwe want quality manpower not quantity he said this is possible when you have good foundations for which you have to be very
sincere and discipline", he added. Shri Pul also appealed the school administration, Public and the student community to give
exemplary punishment to the indiscipline students so that his acts do not destroy the future of other students.
Speaking on bad road condition of the district, Shri Pul said BRTF which looked after the road of the district and who even planned to construct
an RCC bridge in place of old Hari bridge in March last had withdrawn from the district following assault and intimidation to their staff and
encroachment to their compounds. This is a very big problem, how can you expect a person to work when his life is in risk, he questioned.Development comes when there is peace and security, he added.
Shri Pul asked the DC to take up confidence building measures with the BRTF, so that they can take up the project again and requested the local leaders &
elders to cooperate the DC in this regard.
Shri Pul, when asked to revive the closed Apex Bank Branch of Seppa, said, It needs more than Rs. 200 crores to revive the bank which is not
possible from the part of the state govt., the only way is to recover the loan amount from the defaulters, for which the govt. is already working
and an enquiry committee has been set up to track down where the loan amount is invested by the defaulters. The money of the defaulters will be
recovered at any cost and if necessary their property will be seized .The bank officials if found guilty of mismanagement of fund will also be
punished ,he warned.
MLAs of the district Shri Kumar Waii, Shri Atum Welly, Shri Tani Loffa & Shri Techi Hemu, crossing party lines, unanimously sought fund for the
development of the district and in particular to Seppa town which according to them is in a very bad condition.
Zilla Parishad Chairperson Smti Meyo Taku, DCC(I) President Tara Bagang also spoke in the meeting, while East Kameng DC presented welcome address.
The Minister, accompanied by DC (Tax & Excise) A. Pankam, Jt. Director
(Planning) C.L.Bhumkang were accorded warm civic reception on his arrival at Seppa Circuit house by Govt. officers led by DC Shri Bidol Tayeng and
local MLAs.
Sd/- Deepali Dodum, PRO