Rajesh Kumar to take charge as new Director General of Police of Arunachal Pradesh

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed 1995 batch IPS officer Rajesh Kumar as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the order issued on Wednesday, Rajesh Kumar will now lead the police force of this border state. He replaces Shiv Darshan Singh Jamwal, an officer of the same batch as Rajesh Kumar, who has been transferred to Delhi.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Monday approved the proposal to repatriate Rajesh Kumar from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to his parent AGMUT cadre with immediate effect. Rajesh Kumar was serving as Special DG in the CRPF.

This appointment comes at a time when a section of tribal communities in Arunachal Pradesh is protesting against the proposed 11,200 megawatt multipurpose hydroelectric project on the Siang river. This project is considered one of India's largest hydroelectric schemes. Specifically, people from the tribal Adi community in the areas affected by the project have been continuously protesting against the scheme.

The primary concerns of the local people include the submergence of their ancestral villages, displacement, loss of agricultural land and forests, as well as disruption to their traditional lifestyle. On the other hand, this project is strategically important for the Central Government, as it is a significant step against the massive hydropower project proposed by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet. This river is known as the Siang when it enters India.

On Monday, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu stated in a statement that no decision has been taken regarding dam construction without consensus. He appealed for the withdrawal of the 36-hour shutdown call in the Upper Siang region. The Chief Minister clarified, "Let me be clear, we are not talking about dam construction at this stage." He explained that the government is currently only considering a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) to assess the project's viability and potential impacts.

According to an NDTV India report, Rajesh Kumar was serving as Special DG in the CRPF and has extensive experience in security and anti-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.