Staff Reporter 

ITANAGAR, May 29: The Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum (SIFF) has strongly voiced its opposition to the current approach being adopted by the government regarding the proposed Siang Upper Multi-Purpose Hydro Project, citing a lack of transparency and disregard for public consent. The statement was made during a press conference held by the forum, where they called on authorities to respect democratic values and public participation.
SIFF spokesperson clarified, “We are not against development or any individual, but we demand that the government share the blueprint of the proposed dam projects with the public. Government has machinery, Experts should be brought in to address concerns, instead of deploying massive security forces to enforce the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) process without consulting the affected villagers.”
The forum also condemned the violence that occurred on May 27, but blamed the District Administration and Police for the security lapses, stating that law and order enforcement failed to manage the situation responsibly. They refuted claims that SIFF was responsible for the chaos, asserting, “We neither called any mob nor intended to create unrest.”
Raising concerns about the lack of informed consent, SIFF appealed to the authorities to publicly release the documents that, according to the state government, demonstrate villagers' support for the dam. “The reality on the ground is different,” the spokesperson said. “Many of the affected villagers are strongly against the dam. In fact, even the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by some villagers has been withdrawn.”
The forum emphasized that any move perceived as imposing the dam project without genuine public consultation would be seen as authoritarian and undemocratic. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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