A high level central team, led by MHA Joint Secretary Shambu Singh, visited Changlang district yesterday to discuss issues pertaining to the proposed creation of Patkai district autonomous council (PAC).
Singh was accompanied by union tribal affairs ministry director S N Sahai, DoNER ministry director Uma Kant and ministry of home affairs deputy secretary S Saha, official sources said here today.
The state government has proposed for creation of Mon Autonomous Council (MAC) comprising West Kameng and Tawang districts and PAC for Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts under the sixth schedule of the Constitution.
Singh wsuggested that alternatives - such as planning and sanctioning funds specific to the districts, or taking up district-specific projects and getting them implemented - to address the basic areas of concern like health, education, road communication, infrastructure development, etc.
Responding to points pertaining to poor infrastructure, relaxation of height in recruitment process, and rehabilitation package for the youth, Singh promised to have the issues cleared at the earliest.
He further assured to include Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts in the state's tourist circuit.
Earlier, Legislative Assembly Speaker Wanglin Lowangdong said, "We need autonomy not for autonomy's sake or for an ADC. We are demanding autonomy under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution."
Agriculture Minister Setong Sena informed the central team that the three districts have been lagging behind in areas of education, health, employment, road communication, etc for many years.
"Geographically and ethnically also the districts vary from other districts of the state," he said, and stressed that granting ADC may be the right instrument for solving the problems.
On February 25 last, the team visited Tawang to access the ground realities for creation of MAC.
