Former CRPF Special DG Rajesh Kumar appointed Arunachal DGP amid protests over 11,200-MW Siang dam

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday appointed senior IPS officer Rajesh Kumar as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Arunachal Pradesh, replacing Shiv Darshan Singh Jamwal, amid continuing protests against the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.

Kumar, a 1995-batch officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, was serving as Special Director General in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) before being prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his repatriation on Monday with immediate effect. The Home Ministry subsequently issued orders appointing him as the police chief of Arunachal Pradesh.

Jamwal, also a 1995-batch AGMUT cadre officer, has been transferred to Delhi. The transfers will take effect immediately and remain in force until further orders.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

The appointment comes at a time when Arunachal Pradesh is witnessing protests over the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, one of India's largest planned hydropower developments.

Sections of the indigenous Adi community, particularly residents of areas likely to be affected by the project, have been opposing the proposal over concerns about the possible submergence of ancestral villages, displacement of families and loss of agricultural land and forests.

Protesters have also raised concerns about the project's potential impact on the Siang River, local ecosystems and the traditional livelihoods of indigenous communities.

The opposition has intensified in recent weeks, with demonstrations and shutdowns reported across parts of Upper Siang, East Siang and Siang districts.

A 36-hour shutdown called by the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum and the SUMP Affected Area Youth Association began on Monday, affecting commercial establishments, educational institutions and public transportation in several areas.

The protesting organisations have demanded the release of detained activists, withdrawal of security personnel from project-affected areas and suspension of survey activities related to the proposed dam.

𝗞𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

Amid the growing opposition, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday appealed to protesters to withdraw their shutdown and assured them that no final decision had been taken regarding construction of the project.

In an open letter to members of the Adi community, Khandu said the government was considering only the preparation of a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) to assess the project's technical viability and potential implications.

"Let me be clear. We are not talking about dam construction at this stage," the chief minister said.

He maintained that neither the Centre nor the state government had approved construction of the project and assured residents that their concerns would be addressed through consultation.

Khandu said the government would proceed with due consideration for the aspirations and interests of communities likely to be affected.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

The proposed project has also assumed strategic importance because of China's construction of a massive hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which enters India as the Siang before joining the Brahmaputra river system.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has argued that the proposed dam should be examined not merely as a power-generation project but also in the context of water security and potential changes in river flows.

Khandu has expressed concerns about possible flooding and reduced water availability during the winter months, citing developments upstream in China.

He said a scientific assessment was necessary to determine whether the proposed project could help maintain ecological flows in the Siang and Brahmaputra rivers.

However, opponents have maintained that national security and energy requirements should not override the rights, livelihoods and cultural identity of indigenous communities.

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee has also demanded the cancellation of the proposed project and opposed the preparation of its pre-feasibility report.

The appointment of Kumar as the state's new police chief comes against this backdrop of heightened tensions, although the Home Ministry's transfer order did not link the administrative reshuffle to the ongoing protests.