The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly today passed an amended private member resolution to provide special provisions for safeguarding customary rights of the tribal population on ownership and transfer of land and forest produce.
Congress member Takar Marde moved the private member resolution which resolved to press the Centre to expeditiously amend Article 371(H) of the Constitution to bring the state at par with provisions of Article 371(A) and 371(G).
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bosiram Siram, however, suggested that the resolution be brought at a later stage after carefully studying the pros and cons and urged the member to withdraw it.
Speaker Wangling Lowangdong later intervened and it was passed after amendment following a two-hour debate.
Marde said that after Arunachal became a full-fledged state in February 20, 1987, no constitutional safeguard or special protection in respect of religious and social practises, customary laws and right to ownership and transfer of land was provided to tribals of the state by inserting specific provisions in the Constitution as in the case of Nagaland and Mizoram.
Referring to special protection given to Mizoram and Nagaland, he said, "For want of such constitutional protection, the tribals of this state are being discriminated upon."
Citing statistics, Marde said that since 1996, the state incurred loss of revenue of Rs 59,000 crore from forest resources after the Supreme Court banned timber operations in Arunchal in 1995.
He said the state also incurred loss of revenue of Rs 50 crore on mining since 2005 after the Centre's ban on it at Kharsang in Changlang district.
Chief Minister Nabam Tuki gave a chronology of initiatives taken by the state government with the Centre in the last few decades for providing special protection to the tribal people.
"The state has no authority for sustainable management of forest and land besides rights of revenue generation and ownership. Our forest and land are managed by the Centre. We are a resource crunch state and depend on the Centre for funds," Tuki said.
The Chief Minister suggested that MPs from the state raise the issue in Parliament and seek support of MPs of North Eastern states.
