Bonafide landowners of the Dollungmukh area in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kamle district have urged the Indian Air Force (IAF) to provide fair compensation for land that has been under its use for more than five decades and to execute a fresh 50-year lease agreement for its continued occupation.
Representing the affected landowners, public leader and Citizens Right Protection Forum (CRPF) Dollungmukh chairman Ajay Murtem submitted a memorandum to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the IAF’s Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong.
In the representation, Murtem stated that the local landowners have consistently cooperated with the Indian Air Force in the interest of national security and have never opposed the use of their land due to the strategic importance of the defence establishment.
However, he alleged that many landowners have not received fair and adequate compensation for their land. He further claimed that in several cases, lease agreements have either expired or were never formally executed with the rightful owners.
Murtem urged the Eastern Air Command to carry out a comprehensive survey and verification of all land currently occupied by the IAF in the Dollungmukh area.
He also requested the authorities to assess and pay fair compensation to all genuine landowners in accordance with prevailing Government of India norms and applicable laws.
In addition, he demanded that the IAF execute a fresh 50-year lease agreement with the landowners for the continued use of the land.
The memorandum further sought timely payment of annual lease rent and all other legal entitlements due to the landowners. It also requested the Air Force to nominate a competent officer to hold discussions with the affected families and facilitate an amicable resolution of the long-pending issue.
Murtem said regularising the land through a lawful lease agreement and ensuring fair compensation would strengthen the relationship between the Indian Air Force and the local community while delivering justice to the affected families.
Copies of the memorandum have also been submitted to the Ministry of Defence, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, the Raga MLA, and other concerned authorities, seeking their intervention for an early resolution of the matter.
