A vociferous protest against big dams reaches its crucial stage when union environment minister Jairam Ramesh was greeted with protest as he was arriving in Guwahti for a public hearing on the NHPC owned big dam in Arunachal Pradesh.
As the Union minister started the public hearing at Machkhowa, ITA, hundreds of local organizations and political parties approached him to register stiff protest again the on going construction of the big dam in Gerukamukh by NHPC in the name of the lower Subansiri hydel project. Citing the expert panel report, these parties and organisations have told the minister that the big dam might spell an ecological disaster for the people in down stream areas.
PermalinkSubmitted by Hayang on Wed, 29/09/2010 - 05:16
--Lame Excuse by NHPC CMD S.K. Garg--
Despite strident protests in Assam with environmental concerns over construction of mega dams, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Chairman-cum-Managing Director S.K. Garg says that the project builders plan to commission three units in March 2012 and the remaining five units by December 2012. This is because Rs 4000 crore of the Rs 9000 crore project has been utilized. That means 40% of the expenses have been made. But is this a reason enough to sacrifice environment and the population of downstream areas which cannot be compensated even if the Indian central government bring all the riches in the world. When land is lost, existence is lost. When existence is lost, the very right to our natural habitat is lost.
In the devastating floods caused by the Tehri dam in Uttarakhand, the central government has promised a package of Rs 500 crore to the state government. That means every year there will be floods, the Indian government will dole out Rs 500 crore. So, within 8 years, Rs 4000 crore will have to be shelved out. If this is the economics involved, Rs 4000 crore is nothing for a rich country like India where many politicians and ministers have pocketed hundreds and thousands of crores. So, the justification of Rs 4000 crore by S.K. Garg sounds to be a lame excuse to keep the industrial corporations who fund the elections happy and satisfied.
A health check-up camp for scribes has been organized at Guwahati Press Club on April 3 (Saturday). Organized with the support from NEMCARE hospital, the camp will start at 10 am (to continue till 12.30 noon). Member-journalists are requested to attend the same.
A simmering political mercury over the recent Rajya Sabha polls has forced the adjournment of the House twice in 30 minutes on Monday. it All these began when the opposition party MLAs disrupted the proceedings as soon as the House started its question hour. Raising banners and festoons, the Opposition parties alleged murder of democracy in the Rajya Sabha polls. The Opposition parties demanded point of order in view of the serious allegations of horse trading in the poll. Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai refused to accede to the demand. The Opposition party MLAs said they would not allow the House to function unless point of order is allowed. Amid an unruly scene, the Speaker adjourned the House...
Assam Association, Gurgaon is going to celebrate 'Rongali Bihu 2010' on April 17 (Saturday) at DLF Phase-I Community Centre, Gurgaon. The highlights of this years Rongali Bihu is that for the first time in Delhi region, a prize money bihu dance competition is being organised. The competition is only open to women. Interested participants are requested to contact the organizer immediately: Mridul Bhuyan, president, mobile: 09910378040.
Violence erupts again in Goalpara district of lower Assam on Saturday as the supporters of the on going 48 hour Rabha Hasong bandh set on fire some vehicles in the morning. A section of supporters tried to restrict the movement of vehicle by road blockade in Dhupdhara where policemen resorted to blankfire to disperse the supporters. The authorities have beefed up security to bring the situation. Notably, the bandhcall was given in protest against the move to hold the panchayat elections in the Rabha hasong autonomous council areas.
Internationally acclaimed Kokborok film YARWNG (Roots) won the first national film award for Tripura at 56th National Film Awards (2008) held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, 19 March, 2010. The President of India Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil handed over the medal and certificate to Don Bosco priests Joseph Kizhakechennadu (producer) and Fr. Joseph Pulinthanath (director) for their second feature film.
Pulinthanath dressed in white cassock and Kizhakechennadu in his preferred saffron lungi and half-sleeved white kurta were among 52 film award winners of 2008, including high-profile Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra and the doyen of Indian Cinematography V.K. Murthy who was awarded country...
Amid a high voltage drama and allegations of horse trading the ruling Congress has retained both the Rajya Sabha seats from Assam after the end of the polling on Friday. It’s a smooth sailing for the first preference Nazneen Farooq but the second on Silvius Condpan had a keen contest with the Opposition consensus candidate and media baron Jayanta Baruah.
BJP’s four MLAs including Dr Rumi Nath, Abhijeet Hazarika along the 2 from AIUDF and one from AGP came to the rescue of the Congress besides the three independent candidates. Meanwhile, the BJP has suspended all the four MLAs for refusing to toe on the party line a day after AGP axed Abdul Aziz and AUDF sacked 2 MLAs.
Amid a high voltage drama the voting for two Rajya Sabha seats is underway in Dispur. The opposition consensus candidate Jayanta Barua finds it quite Harculean task to ensure victory when 5 MLAs from AGP, AIUDF, BJP and ASDC promised votes for Congress.
Three two-wheeler riders from Kerala will arrive at Guwahati Press Club tomorrow (Friday) at 9 am. The team has taken the mission under 'Desh Suraksha Sandesh Yatra' against terrorism. Led by NP Satheesan Menon, the team will cover nearly 15,000 km in 45 days crossing almost all States of the country to spread awareness for a terror free India.
They had started their journey on February 19 from the front of Kochi Refineries Limited, Kerala. The mission will be culminated in Kerala.
Hectic political activities have reached all time high a day before the Rajya Sabha polls for 2 seats from Assam on Thursday. The ruling Congress is all set to win the first one seat where the party fields Najneen Farooq. The party's second preference and sititng Rajya Sabha MP Silvous Condpan is facing a keen contest as the Opposition camp has fielded media baron Jayanta Baruah.
Both the ruling and the Opposition camps are in a last ditch effort to woo the MLAs barring party lines. The ruling Congress will fall short of some votes to ensure the victory of its second preference candidate. But efforts are on to ensure votes from the Opposiotion camps taking the advangate of the simmering...
Once again the Gauhati university campus buys a bad name. An uneasy situation is prevailing in the varsity camp when a boy committed suicide on Wednesday evening. According to information, identified as Debojit Talukdar the youth committed suicide beside a girls hostel. His body was found hanging in the evening. The reason has yet to be ascertained. Police have already registered a case in this connection.
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