Arunachal Acts on Frontier Highway Scam, Four Officials Suspended, DC Faces Probe Over Compensation Irregularities
Four officials have been suspended and the Deputy Commissioner faces disciplinary action in a multi-crore land compensation scam tied to the Frontier Highway project.
ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government has suspended four senior officials and recommended disciplinary action against a Deputy Commissioner following revelations of a multi-crore land compensation scam linked to the Frontier Highway project, one of India’s most strategic border infrastructure initiatives.
According to official sources, the suspensions target members of a Ground Verification Board responsible for assessing compensation for assets under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.
The alleged irregularities occurred during land acquisition for the 125.55-km Lada–Sarli section (Packages I–V) of the Frontier Highway in East Kameng district, part of the 1,748-km trans-Arunachal corridor designed to strengthen connectivity and security along the India-China border.
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The suspended officials include Abhinav Kumar (IFS, DFO Seppa), Miram Perme (District Agriculture Officer), C.K. Tayum (District Horticulture Officer), and Takam Kechak (DLRSO and board member secretary). The board’s chairperson, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Nigam, faces a separate inquiry.
Investigators found that the team allegedly conducted “wrongful, inflated and fraudulent” evaluations — approving payments for non-existent structures, inflated crop values, and omitting legitimate landowners from compensation lists. Funds amounting to several crores, deposited with the district administration in April 2025, were allegedly diverted to fake claimants.
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The government has referred the case of DC Himanshu Nigam, an All India Services officer on central deputation, to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for approval of suspension and disciplinary proceedings.
A Fact-Finding Committee (FFC), chaired by the Transport Commissioner and formed on August 13, 2025, uncovered major procedural violations in its interim report submitted on November 4. These included:
- Absence of a mandatory multidisciplinary team for asset verification.
- No public notice during claim-and-objection periods.
- Compensation for fictitious assets and non-landowners.
- Violation of transparency norms under the RFCTLARR Act.
The FFC’s deadline for its final report has been extended to November 30, suggesting that more officials could face accountability measures in the coming weeks.
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While state authorities have not issued public statements, insiders describe the move as a “zero-tolerance message” from the Khandu government amid growing criticism over corruption in frontier development projects.
The Frontier Highway, a high-altitude corridor parallel to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), is expected to transform connectivity in border districts. However, allegations of inflated compensation, land ownership disputes, and opaque verification processes have repeatedly shadowed its progress.
Activists argue that such scams erode public trust and hinder strategic development in sensitive border regions. As the probe widens, attention now shifts to the MHA’s decision on Nigam’s suspension and the final findings of the FFC, which may reshape accountability norms in Arunachal’s infrastructure governance.
