ITANAGAR, Aug 1: Arunachal Pradesh Congress chief Bosiram Siram on Friday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum seeking intervention for amendment to Article 371(H), review of the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a party release said.
Siram urged that Article 371(H) of the Constitution be amended to grant Arunachal Pradesh constitutional safeguards and legislative powers similar to those enjoyed by Nagaland under Article 371(A) and Mizoram under Article 371(G).
This, he said, is essential to protect the state’s land, natural resources, customary laws, and socio-cultural identity.
Related Posts:
Article 371(H) grants special provisions to Arunachal Pradesh, primarily focusing on law and order and governance. It empowers the governor with special responsibility to maintain peace and ensure good governance in the state, particularly due to its sensitive geographic and socio-cultural context.
However, unlike similar provisions in neighbouring states such as Nagaland (Article 371A) and Mizoram (Article 371G), Article 371(H) does not provide legislative safeguards over land ownership, natural resources, or customary practices.
Expressing grave concerns over the proposed SUMP, he warned of severe social, environmental, and demographic impacts, including the displacement of indigenous communities. He demanded that the project be re-evaluated through extensive consultations with local stakeholders.
Siram also called for the rollback of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme to secure the future of government employees after retirement.
The Congress president assured Siram of full support and expressed solidarity with the people of Arunachal Pradesh, it said.
He commended Siram’s commitment to representing grassroots concerns and reaffirmed the party’s dedication to protecting the rights and aspirations of the state’s citizens.
Siram was accompanied by A Chellakumar, AICC secretary and Arunachal Pradesh in charge. (PTI)
