Legislators' Forum to vigorously pursue ADCs creation

Itanagar, Mar 22 (UNI) The demand for creation of Autonomous District Council (ADC) for Tawang-West Kameng and Tirap-Changlang, four remote districts in Arunachal Pradesh, received a new boost with 19 MLAs from these districts constituting a joint legislator forum to pursue the matter vigorously with Centre as well as the state government The forum, headed by T G Rinpoche as its convenor and Assembly Speaker Setong Sena as alternate convenor, resolved to move jointly till the attainment of two ADCs and to strictly abide by the decision taken in the forum without allowing anybody to deviate from it even at the cost of losing MLA seat, informed Rinpoche during a press conference here this morning.

The forum in its sitting on March 18 last also resolved approaching chief minister to include the granting of ADCs in the state memorandum to be submitted to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his ensuing visit to the state, the convenor informed adding, a delegation of the forum would go to New Delhi to pursue the matter with the Centre.

Other important resolutions adopted in the sitting include, Tirap and Canglang districts should immediately take action for drafting and finalizing the module for the proposed ADC by the end of April 2007 in line with the module of Mon Autonomous Council in respect of Tawang and West Kameng district and the Speaker would be the chairman of Tirap an Changlang district Autonomous Demand Committee, he said.

''Creation of ADCs would help these districts foster speedy development and such self-governing body would help the people decide their fate,'' he pointed out, while clarifying that geographical isolation of these districts had hampered development in the right earnest.

Suggesting the state government to follow Meghalaya model where, Khasi Jayantia and Garo ADCs were formed to speed up economic development, Mr Rinpoche claimed that planning made by ADC for respective areas would be more effective in comparison to that of state planning board.

MLA from West Kameng district Naresh Glow, who was also present during the press conference along with Wanglin Lowangdong from Tirap, said that creation of ADC was essential particularly for those areas sharing international border.

Referring to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Council, Kargil Autonomous Hill Council, Boroland Autonomous Council and Gorkha council, he said that Tawang and West Kameng sharing border with China and Tirap-Changlang with Myanmar should not be left out.

While Mr Lowangdong commented that ADC would integrate the whole tribal population of the state and strengthen bond of fraternity, Mr Rinpoche said it would exude confidence among the people of these districts to reject China's claim over Arunachal's territory boldly if they witness fast development.

UNI