Defence Ministry to Acquire Strategic 10 Acres in Arunachal’s Siang Border

The defence ministry has moved to acquire strategic land in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh to beef up military infrastructure along the border with China.

The defence ministry will acquire 10.12 acres of land in Ningging village in Tuting tehsil of Upper Siang district, which is about 40 km from the Line of Actual Control. The rural development ministry has notified the defence ministry as the “appropriate authority” under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, for the acquisition of land at Ningging, which is a small village with a population of about 350 people.

According to sources, the land is crucial as it is close to an Army garrison near Tuting. As per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, any land can be acquired for defence purposes, railways and communication without the requirements of a gram sabha meeting.

According to sources, the move has come after the defence ministry put in a request with the home ministry to acquire this land. A government source, who did not wish to be identified, told ET, “The land is being acquired for construction of ‘critical military infrastructure’.” This is the second time within the year that the defence ministry has put in a request to acquire such a vast piece of land in Arunachal Pradesh to ramp up army presence near the Sino-Indian border. Earlier, in January, the defence ministry had moved to acquire 14.128 acres of land in Yorni II border village in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

India has been developing border infrastructure after the increase in border skirmishes with China. The present move follows a recent incursion by 100 PLA soldiers at Barahoti in Uttarakhand in August. The Chinese soldiers crossed the border and damaged infrastructure, including a bridge. Both India and China have been involved in disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh following aggressive skirmishes in the sector last May.

Source: ET