Arunachal govt sets up 4 panels on infiltration, indigenous rights issues
Khandu said the panels were constituted in line with the decisions taken in the consultative meetings held under his chairmanship on May 27 and May 29 on issues related to indigenous tribal rights, Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes, ILP framework and related concerns.
Also read: ‘Insult to SC’: Arunachal CM Congress gets ‘control’ over files during CBI probe
Khandu said the panels brought together representatives of the All India Tribal Federation (AITF), All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU), Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Committee, legal experts, academicians and government officials to ensure a broad-based and participatory approach in addressing the issues.
The government has set up a high-powered committee headed by Environment and Forestry Minister Wangki Lowang to address concerns about infiltration and illegal immigrants, an official order said.
The committee was tasked with investigating the prevalence of infiltration and migration in the state and recommending measures for stronger border control, biometric and digital verification systems, and action against counterfeit identity documents and networks of undocumented settlements.
The panel was also tasked with recommending administrative and legal measures to prevent illegal immigration and strengthen existing protection measures within the constitutional and legal framework. The panel will present its recommendations to the government within six months of its first meeting.
To further strengthen the Inner Line Permit regime, the government has constituted another committee headed by Minister of Agriculture and Horticulture Gabriel D Wangsu.
The Committee will examine the current system of regulation, monitoring and verification of ILPs, review the 2026 ILP guidelines and recommend restructuring measures to strengthen the framework.
It is also tasked with proposing technology-based mechanisms for regulating and monitoring ILP, developing a robust verification process and recommending appropriate categories for the issuance of such permits to tourists, visitors and workers.
The government has also constituted a panel headed by Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona to look into re-validation of APST certificates and related issues.
The panel will examine the current system for the issuance, monitoring and verification of APST certificates, including guidelines notified in 2022.
The committee will recommend a robust methodology for APST verification, recommend changes to existing guidelines, and recommend enhanced security features, digital and biometric verification systems, village-level review mechanisms, and district-level verification procedures.
It was also asked to recommend legislative and administrative measures against fraudulent or illegally obtained APST certificates and fraudulent claims to tribal status.
Another committee was formed, chaired by Law Minister Kento Jini, to examine non-APST ancestry claims, protection of indigenous rights and related issues.
The panel will examine the current system governing the acquisition and protection of tribal rights, identify gaps that allow the abuse or indirect acquisition of such rights, and recommend legal and administrative safeguards regarding tribal identity, inheritance, ancestry verification, indigenous lands protection, and reservation benefits.
Also read: From Mizo ginger to Nagaland’s coffee, here’s how the government plans to make the Northeast ‘Ashtalakshmi’ for the world
It is also tasked with recommending measures to prevent abuse of tribal protections through manipulated documents or indirect claims and recommending legal action against illegally acquired tribal rights.
All four committees have the authority to receive reports, data and status updates from ministries and district administrations and must submit their recommendations within six months of their first meeting, government orders said.
