Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, on Friday, delivered a strong message against corruption, urging community-based organisations to lead a collective fight for transparency and accountability in the state's development.
Speaking at the 14th General Conference of the Nyishi Elite Society (NES) at Koloriang, CM Khandu voiced serious concern over alleged large-scale irregularities in land compensation for the Lada–Sarli stretch of the Frontier Highway in East Kameng district.
Preliminary findings, he said, indicate "massive misuse" of compensation funds. "Whose money is it? It belongs to the taxpayers of this country. The Union government invests thousands of crores for Arunachal's development, and we cannot allow a few individuals to derail progress because of greed," the Chief Minister said, warning that strict action will follow against those found guilty.
Calling the Frontier Highway a transformative project for the frontier regions, the Chief Minister regretted that "the actions of a few" had pushed back timelines. He appealed to NES to spearhead a strong, statewide movement against corruption and the growing money culture.
Chief Minister Khandu also used the platform to urge CBOs (Community-Based Organisations), NGOs (Non-Government Organisations) and student bodies to campaign against electoral malpractices, noting that panchayat and municipal polls are approaching.
The Chief Minister reminded the gathering that as the apex body of the state's largest tribe, the NES carries a 'big brother' responsibility in guiding and uniting Arunachal Pradesh's 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes. "In a state as diverse as ours, organisations like NES are crucial to strengthening unity in diversity our greatest strength," he said.
Chief Minister Khandu praised the NES's contributions to education, youth empowerment, cultural preservation and social reform, describing NES as "a symbol of leadership and progressive thinking". The Chief Minister welcomed the inclusion of an environment preservation session in the NES conference, calling it "timely and essential".
He expressed concern over rampant hill-cutting, especially in the Itanagar Capital Region, and urged the adoption of terrain-friendly construction practices. Chief Minister Khandu also pressed NES to support the state government in improving education quality and tackling the growing menace of drug abuse.
CBOs, he said, have unmatched influence at the grassroots. On the issue of illegal immigrants, CM Khandu said that discussions at the government level have identified serious weaknesses in the current Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime. "We are working to fully digitise the ILP system, plug loopholes, ensure accountability, and make employers responsible for migrant labour," he added.
Reiterating his concern over youth unemployment, CM Khandu urged all CBOs to champion the concept of dignity in labour. "Unless our youth understand that no job is small, the inflow of migrant workers will continue and affect our demographic balance," he cautioned.