HT Digital
ITANAGAR, MAY 9: Itanagar Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom has formally written to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), informing that all Land Possession Certificates (LPCs) issued for plots falling within the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Durpong Reserve Forest are now cancelled.
Referring to a February 2022 order (No. DC/M/LPC-207/15), the DC confirmed that all LPCs and land allotments issued within these protected areas—since the inception of the office—stand null and void. The cancellation impacts thousands of landholders, with Potom stating that the decision is based on the original land notifications dating back to the establishment of Itanagar as the capital in 1978.
Related Posts:
In his letter dated May 5, 2025, Potom requested the PCCF to treat all such documents as invalid, regardless of whether they were issued knowingly or unknowingly, and to initiate legal action in accordance with applicable forest and environmental laws. The records of the cancelled land allotments have been forwarded to the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for further action.
However, the move has triggered strong backlash from local residents. Members of the Aboriginal Tribal Inhabitant Villagers of the Itanagar Capital Region (ATIVICR) submitted a memorandum to the chief minister on Thursday, demanding an immediate reversal of the order.
ATIVICR member and Ganga village resident Techi Nera called the decision arbitrary and warned of mass protests. “This order must be scrapped. If the government fails to act, we will launch a democratic movement,” Nera said. He argued that the move would devalue land, halt development, and prevent residents from using land as collateral for loans.
Nera further criticized successive governments for failing to resolve the long-standing land regularisation issue in Itanagar, even 52 years after it became the capital. “We’ve attended several meetings over the years, but no lasting solution has been reached,” he added.
The situation remains tense as affected landholders await a response from the state government.
