Arunachal Orders Demolition Of Illegal Religious Structures After Protests

In a major development, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday directed district authorities to identify and demolish all illegal religious structures in Itanagar. The decision came in the backdrop of protests by indigenous youth groups over alleged encroachment by illegal immigrants.

Chief Minister Khandu said, "I have instructed the deputy commissioners to identify and demolish all unauthorised religious structures in the state capital. Arunachal Pradesh is protected under the inner line permit (ILP) regime of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, which regulates the entry of non-residents to safeguard indigenous communities, land, and cultural identity."

Khandu said that earlier, the ILP system could not be properly monitored, adding that the government has now migrated to a digital platform. He said this digitised platform will strengthen checks on illegal entries and stays in Arunachal Pradesh.

Khandu said that under the new system, employers bringing labourers from outside Arunachal Pradesh would be required to inform the government for verification.

The chief minister added that the new rules will come into force following an approval by the Cabinet.

For the last few months, several indigenous youth groups in the state have been protesting what they claim are alleged illegal immigrants who have been constructing unauthorised religious sites and encroaching on tribal land in and around Itanagar.

The groups had urged the government to take immediate steps to dismantle the structures.