Arunachal Activists Serve Seven-Day Ultimatum Over Alleged Rs 300 Crore Fisheries 'Ghost Pond' Scam

Overview

• The Joint Action Committee (JAC) has given the state government seven days to respond after accusing the fisheries department of using paper projects and fictitious 'ghost ponds' to divert more than Rs 300 crore in public funds.
• The JAC says several ponds and allied works shown as completed in official records either do not exist on the ground or remain unfinished despite release of government money.
• An FIR has been registered and an investigation is reported to be underway, but the JAC says progress and transparency have been inadequate and has called for an independent, time-bound inquiry.
• The state fisheries department and Arunachal Pradesh government did not respond to requests for comment in the reporting on the activists' allegations.
• If the government does not act, the JAC has warned it will launch a democratic movement, a step that could escalate pressure for accountability and trigger administrative or legal action if the probe finds wrongdoing.