Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum delegation calls on Kiren Rijiju

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum ( AITF), a confederation of all community-based organization in the state, today urged Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju to take up the issue of Naga People's Front ( NPF) reported propaganda of Greater Nagalim in the state.

A delegation of the forum led by its chairman Bengia Tolum during a meeting here with the Union minister today apprised him how the Nagaland-based political party was trying to expand its wings to the state with Greater Nagalim propaganda, a press release said.

The forum in a memorandum to the minister also pleaded him to take up with the Centre the oft-repeated Chinese claim over state's territory and issuance of stapled visas to sportspersons and bureaucrats from the state.

The other issues highlighted include, Assam-Arunachal boundary dispute, Chakma-Hajong refugee issue, Permanent Resident Certificates (PRC) to non-Arunachalees in the state, safety and security of North East people in Delhi and other Indian cities; recruitment and reservation policy for Arunachalees in North Eastern Electric Power Corporation ( NEEPCO) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation ( NHPC).

The forum alleged that many Arunachalee tribal employees are being harassed, victimised and discriminated by the management of the NEEPCO and demanded his immediate intervention, the release said.

The AITF also demanded that the NEEPCO and NHPC should established their staff recruitment centres in Itanagar against all their projects within Arunachal Pradesh so that local tribal youths could avail the opportunity of employment.