Apang apprehends social conflict on proposed delimitation

Itanagar, May 11 (UNI) Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang today requested the Delimitation Commission Chairman not to make any change in the assembly constituencies as it may go against the interest of the people and suggested maintainance of status quo.

In a letter to the Commission, Mr Apang said the proposed delimitation of constituencies might result in social conflicts among the peace lovers of the state.

Former Chief Election Commissioner P V Perry Shastri had extensively toured the state and conducted a number of public meetings before recommending creation of existing 60 assembly seats with public mandate, he said.

The present constituencies have been well settled and adjusted honouring public opinions elicited through debates, the letter said, adding any change in the existing pattern would create social conflict and may lead to political turmoil in this highly sensitive border state.

Suggesting that public debates should have been conducted in the state before drafting the delimitation proposal, the Congress MLA said no change either in Assembly or Parliamentary constituency should be made till additional seats in both categories were allotted to the state.

Meanwhile, in another memorandum, elected representatives of Lohit district, including Rural Works Department(RWD) Minister Chowna Mein, have opposed the Arunachal Pradesh State Tribal(APST) population as criteria and demanded delimitation based on total population as per the 2001 census.

UNI