The Arunachal Pradesh government has directed that weekly markets in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) and Papum Pare district will now be held only on Saturdays, according to an official order issued on Saturday.
The directive has been introduced to regulate market activities, curb the possible entry of unauthorised immigrants and prevent revenue losses to the state government.
The order, issued by Home Commissioner Saugat Biswas, followed a high-level meeting chaired by the state’s home minister to review concerns raised by several organisations, including the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation and the All Naharlagun Youth Organisation.
According to the order, weekly markets in many areas had been operating on multiple days, leading to the frequent participation of non-local vendors and increasing the likelihood of unauthorised immigrants entering the state.
The situation, the order noted, was also resulting in significant revenue losses for the government.
To address the issue, the government has fixed Saturday as the designated day for weekly markets in the Itanagar Capital Region and Papum Pare district.
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For the rest of the state, deputy commissioners of the respective districts have been authorised to identify and notify one specific day of the week for the operation of weekly markets within their jurisdictions.
The government has also made it clear that such markets must be held strictly once a week.
Deputy commissioners and superintendents of police across the state have been instructed to ensure immediate enforcement of the directive and submit action-taken reports to the Home department.
The decision follows representations from indigenous youth organisations that had expressed concerns over the unregulated expansion of weekly markets across Arunachal Pradesh, citing both security and administrative challenges.
