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CHANGLANG, SEP 15: The first District Level Steering Committee (DLSC) meeting on the Lakhpati Didi Initiative for Changlang district was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall here on Tuesday to strengthen women-led livelihoods, entrepreneurship and convergence among government departments. The meeting was chaired by Changlang Deputy Commissioner RD Thungon, with District Mission Manager, District Mission Management Unit (DMMU), Khonsa-Tirap-Changlang-Longding, Arunachal State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ArSRLM) Raju Tamang Ghising as member secretary. Members of the Zilla Parishad Council (ZPC), Zilla Parishad Members (ZPMs), administrative officers and representatives from agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, veterinary, industries, textiles and handicrafts, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), ArSRLM and other line departments attended the meeting, along with Community-Level Federation (CLF) leaders, Community Resource Persons-Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EP) and LoKOS resource persons. Ghising, in his opening remarks, highlighted the objective of the Lakhpati Didi Initiative to empower women, particularly members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), through diversified livelihoods and micro-enterprises. He stressed convergence with various line departments and stakeholders to enable SHG households to undertake multiple livelihood activities linked to identified value chains. Thungon emphasised inter-departmental coordination and convergence for effective implementation of the initiative. He urged departments to leverage available government schemes and resources and encouraged SHGs to pursue diversified livelihood activities to achieve the Lakhpati Didi target. The Deputy Commissioner also stressed timely follow-up on decisions taken during the meeting and assured necessary support for implementation. He urged agriculture and allied departments and other resource departments to work closely with ArSRLM and Panchayati Raj institutions. Changlang Zilla Parishad Chairperson Remjung Jugli called for stronger coordination among line departments, Panchayati Raj institutions and ArSRLM, including better information sharing and optimal utilisation of available resources. He assured full cooperation through Panchayats in creating livelihood opportunities for SHG women. Changlang ADC-cum-District Panchayat Development Officer Marpe Riba highlighted convergence as a key component of development and stressed timely integration of the Village Panchayat Resource Plan (VPRP), Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and Zilla Panchayat Development Plan (ZPDP). He said development plans should be prepared and submitted through Mahila Sabha and Gram Sabha. Riba also urged SHG, Primary-Level Federation (PLF) and CLF leaders to actively participate in Gram Sabha meetings and place their priorities through the VPRP process. He highlighted the availability of resources with various departments and Panchayats that could be leveraged for SHG beneficiaries. District Horticulture Officer, District Agriculture Officer and District Fisheries Development Officer discussed the Atma Nirbhar schemes, including Atma Nirbhar Krishi Yojana (ANKY), Atma Nirbhar Bagwani Yojana (ANBY) and Atma Nirbhar Matsya Yojana (ANMPY), and informed the committee that the schemes had already been implemented in the district. They said SHG members would be encouraged to benefit from the schemes to expand livelihood opportunities. The District Deputy Director of Industries highlighted the Prime Minister’s Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme and the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, noting that SHGs could access these programmes for livelihood enhancement. The Assistant Director of Textiles and Handicrafts said SHGs could be provided space to display and sell handicraft and other non-farm products. Five SHG members were felicitated with Certificates of Appreciation by the Deputy Commissioner and Zilla Parishad Chairperson in recognition of their contributions to self-reliant livelihoods. The beneficiaries also shared their experiences, achievements and challenges associated with SHG-led livelihood activities under ArSRLM. The ZPMs assured the committee of collaborative efforts to promote the initiative in their respective blocks and the district as a whole. The SBI Changlang Branch Manager stressed the importance of credit linkages for SHG women to expand livelihood activities. He assured that necessary support and handholding would be extended on a priority basis to facilitate access to banking benefits. (DIPR)  

Staff Reporter ITANAGAR, SEPT 14: The Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) has condemned the state government’s deployment of security forces for conducting the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) survey for the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), terming the move “provocative, undemocratic and condemnable.” Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here on Monday, SIFF spokesperson Tagori Mize said the project-affected families (PAFs) have strongly opposed the proposed project and had submitted relevant documents and representations to Adi Bane Kebang (ABK) president Tanom Tatak, seeking his intervention in pursuing their grievances with the state government. Mize said the PAFs had placed two major demands before the ABK, including withdrawal of security forces from the villages and revocation of suspension orders issued against Gaon Buras in connection with the SUMP issue. However, he alleged that the ABK had failed to communicate the grievances of the affected families to the state government or extend necessary support to the community. Mize further claimed that differences and conflicts had emerged among villagers over the SUMP issue, resulting in law-and-order concerns in some areas, but alleged that neither the ABK nor the state government had taken adequate steps to address the situation. Expressing displeasure over the alleged inaction of the ABK leadership, Mize demanded the “moral resignation” of ABK president Tanom Tatak, alleging that he had failed to safeguard the interests of the affected community. The SIFF spokesperson also alleged that the deployment of security forces to facilitate the PFR survey amounted to a forceful approach by the government and could further aggravate tensions in the project-affected areas. “The deployment of security forces for conducting the PFR is provocative and undemocratic. It reflects the failure of the government to convince the project-affected families,” Mize said. The SIFF reiterated its opposition to what it termed forceful activities related to the proposed SUMP and urged the government to engage with the affected families through dialogue.    

KHONSA, SEP 14: The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), in collaboration with the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Tirap, conducted a two-day Child Rights Awareness and Child Welfare Assessment Campaign in Khonsa on Monday under the theme “Know Your Rights – Protect Every Child.” The campaign brought together students, parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers and community members, with discussions focusing on child safety, protection, education, mental health, bullying, substance abuse and online risks. Tirap Deputy Commissioner Badonlum Tawsik described child abuse as one of the most serious challenges facing the State and stressed that both boys and girls are vulnerable. He said awareness and early sensitisation were essential to help children recognise and respond to unsafe situations. He emphasised that parents are the first line of protection, while schools and other institutions must ensure the safety and rights of children. He also underlined the importance of building trust and emotional bonding between children and adults so that children feel secure enough to speak about abuse or other problems. Khonsa Block ZPM Necha Wangsu stressed the need to report cases of abuse, particularly those involving girl children. Drawing on her seven years of experience with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), she said stigma and lack of awareness continued to keep many cases unreported and urged families and communities to remain vigilant and act promptly. APSCPCR Member Ngurang Achung explained the role of the Commission as a monitoring body dealing with cases, policies and issues concerning children. He said nearly 90 per cent of cases taken up by the Commission are suo motu, with many being brought to its notice through social media. Achung said the Commission works closely with police and CWCs and conducts mandatory personal inquiries in serious cases. Expressing concern over the continuing prevalence of child labour in the Tirap, Longding and Changlang (TLC) region, he remarked that “books should replace utensils in the hands of children.” He also explained the procedure parents can follow for reporting child-related issues through appropriate legal channels. The campaign featured interactive sessions on various aspects of child rights and protection. Monglin Mongwang spoke on the Right to Education (RTE), school safety and bullying, while CWC Chairperson Advocate Nakap Matey covered the Juvenile Justice Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, child labour and child marriage. Clinical Psychologist Nita Tangha addressed mental health and substance abuse, and Khonsa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector K Techi spoke on cyber safety, misuse of social media and online gaming addiction. The campaign stressed that child protection is a collective responsibility requiring awareness, empathy, vigilance and timely action from families, institutions and the wider community.

ITANAGAR, SEP 14: The All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) has served a seven-day ultimatum to the state education department, demanding immediate action on its representation seeking allocation of funds for 56 identified schools in Nyishi-inhabited districts. In a letter addressed to the education minister on Monday, ANSU president Ashok Doka expressed “serious displeasure and strong objection” over what it termed the continued silence and inaction of the department on its representation submitted on September 1. The students’ body said more than 14 days had elapsed without any acknowledgement or communication on the action proposed on its demands. ANSU maintained that the issue concerned basic educational infrastructure and the future of thousands of students and, therefore, could not be allowed to remain unattended. Doka also questioned what it described as inadequate ministerial attention to the education department, claiming that the minister’s responsibilities for multiple portfolios, including RWD, tourism and parliamentary affairs, could be affecting timely attention to educational issues. It urged the state government to consider dedicated and full-time ministerial leadership for the education department if the existing arrangement was hampering timely resolution of grievances. In its ultimatum, ANSU demanded concrete and measurable action on its earlier representation, initiation of necessary steps for allocation of funds to the 56 identified schools and a written communication detailing action taken and the proposed timeline for further steps. The union warned that failure to respond within seven days would be viewed as a failure to address the matter with the seriousness it deserved. It said it would then be compelled to resort to “peaceful, democratic and lawful measures” and hold the authorities accountable for continued inaction. “The government must demonstrate its commitment through action, not silence,” Doka, adding that no further delay would be acceptable.  

ITANAGAR, SEP 14: The anti-corruption bureau of Arunachal Pradesh has arrested a retired divisional forest officer in connection with alleged misappropriation of government funds amounting to Rs 31.93 crore in the Banderdewa Forest Division, officials said on Monday. He was arrested on Sunday, a release issued by the ACB said. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the disbursement of government funds in the Banderdewa Forest Division during his tenure as the DFO, it said. The accused allegedly presided over the disbursement of payments to private individuals, the release stated. The former DFO complained of chest pain and physical discomfort following his arrest, and was provided medical attention, officials said. The role of other public servants allegedly involved in the irregularities is also being examined, along with other aspects, they said. (Source: PTI)