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.
Police and forest guards arrested 6 poachers during a joint operation in and around Kaziranga National Park during the last three days. Operations were launched in the Park since the killing of a Rhino on last Sunday and six persons were arrested.A rifle was also recovered during the operation and the poachers have been remanded to judicial custody.
The Assam government and the ruling Congress on Thursday agreed to go out against the Bangladeshi immigrants. A crucial meeting of ministers, parliamentary secretaries and Congress leaders at Koinadhara decided to stand united against the immigrants who intruded into the state after 1971.
Chaired by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the meeting decided to publish a white paper on the Assam Accord implementation on October 7. The decision assumes significance in the wake of the statewide call against the Bangladeshi immigrants.
The Assam government is trying its best to foil the bandh. It further directed the employees to ensure normalcy in official functionings on Thursday. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the government asked it employees to ensure normal functioning and attendance in all government offices and undertakings in the state in view of the bandh by BJP and supported by several parties. All heads of offices and departments have been further instructed to deduct pay and allowances for unauthorized absence from offices and duties tomorrow and to initiate disciplinary action for such unauthorized absence. According to the notification, the absent employees would have to face pay cuts and the...
Normal life across the state comes to a grinding halt under the impact of the country wide bandh call in protest against FDI in retail, diesel price hike and cap on LPG cylinders. Vehicles refused to ply on the roads early in the morning when the bandh began along with others parts of the country. Schools and colleges, shops and markets are remaining closed. The bandh is total and peaceful. There is no report of any untoward incident anywhere in the state.
Dispur rolls up its sleeves to expedite the process to rehabilitate the refugees in the riot-hit BTAD areas and Dhubri. A ministerial panel met with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Dispur to discuss the steps to rehabilitate the genuine refugees. Gogoi asked the authorities the scan the land holding documents of the refugees. Scrutiny of land holding documents of the refugees is under process in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.
Dispur on Tuesday evinced its keen interest to have a consulate to boost trade in Bangladesh. Disclosing this, an official statement sad that the issue was raised during a meeting between Indian High Commisioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Dispur. Gogoi asked Saran to take up the matter with concernend officials in Dhaka.
During the meeting, the chief minister briefed the Indian High Commissioner about problems related to detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Assam and asked him to take up the issue with the neighbouring country's government at the diplomatic level.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi o Tuesday faced flak for supporting 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail. CPI(M) criticized him alleging it an attempt to introduce the concept in the state will affect both farmers and consumers. CPI(M) state secretary Uddhav Barman told reporters in Guwahati that Gogoi has supported Centre's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. But any attempt to allow foreign companies to open such shops in Assam will be detrimental. He said that Gogoi has supported the Centre's stand without going into details regarding cost-benefit analysis.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the state falls shortage of 280 MW during peak hour and a shortage of 190 MW during off-peak hours. But if everything goes as planned, there will be no power cuts in Assam in a few years time. Before that Gogoi appraised Union power minister M Veerappa Moily of the state’s state’s power situation in presence of state Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi. The projects that came up for discussion included the Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project and Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project as well as the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Projects.
Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday said that he had seen no threat to UPA government after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to withdraw support if FDI decision is not given second threat.Talking to reporters in Guwahati, Moily said that FDI is a strong decision we have taken and this is going to transform the entire economic scenario.
A slew of power projects is waiting to get Central help. Dispur urged the Union Minister to ensure adequate coal supply to Margherita Thermal Power Project and gas supply for the Amguri Power Project. Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi made a presentation on the status of the various power projects in the state and its various requirements and shortcomings. The projects include Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project, Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project and Implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Project in Tinsukia and Goalpara districts.
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