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.
This social audit is being carried out by the citizens on the development work done under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).The Miyaganj block development office had earlier provided documents related to NREGS after one and a half years struggle at UP State Information Commission under Right to Information Act. These documents are being verified by the citizens themselves in the ongoing social audit.The Gram Pradhans had spread the rumour that high court has granted a stay-order against the social audit. In many Gram Panchayats including Bhadua, Barha Kala, Kulha Ataura and Korari khurd, the social audit work remained suspended for few hours owing to the rumour. However...
The All Assam Students Union will continue the agitation unless the government stops the move to retain the Assam Oil Division's marketing branch in Assam. The AASU leaders have warned that they are not comfort with OIL's decision only to retain the red rhino symbol. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjee said they will stop any move to hurt the interest of Assam and its people. He criticized the Tarun Gogoi Government for remaining silent in this regard. Dr Bhattacharjee said its only because of stiff resistance by AASU and Asom Unnati Sabha the authorities have retained the red rhino symbol. General secretary of the student body Tapan Kumar Gogoi...
Bloomington: Two Guwahati based scribes have arrived at Bloomington for undertaking a sensitizing program at Indiana University on HIV/AIDS issues. More over they will be provided space for understanding the journalism education and practice in USA.Nava Thakuria, a freelance journalist from Assam and Subhamoy Bhattacharjee, a photo journalist working for The Indian Express are among six Asians including media person, NGO worker and journalism educator form India and Sri Lanka, who were invited for the three week long program. Sponsored by Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, the program also includes two Sri Lankan journalists namely Chaminda Wariyagoda, Udaya Wanniarachchi one...
Workers have been seen cleaning potatoes on 21-05-2008 that will be sent to the local market soon which were produced as a part of AASU and Assam Unnati Sabha initiative at Barpeta. Photo by UB Photos
Veteran freedom fighter Indreswar Phukan of Golahgat breathed his last on Thursday morning. He was 90. The end came early in the morning at his own residence. For the last couple of months he had been ailing. Mr Phukan was actively engaged in the freedom struggle and was known to be closed associate of Kushal Konwar. It may be noted that two years ago he got his burial place dug in the form of moidam for his last rites.
Two people have been arrested by police and seized some flash of fox from their possession in the city’s kamakhya Railway station on Wednesday night. According to information, acting on some specific top off that two persons were coming by the Bohagi Train with some flash from Kendukona area, leaders of the non governmental organisation People For Animal Sangita Goswami and others informed it to police and were waiting for the train to arrive in the station. At around 10 pm, the train arrived in the station and police caught these two people red handed with flash. These two poachers were later taken to the Maligaon based GRP post. Taking to reporters, these two accused poachers have...
On the second day of training of about hundred citizens who are preparing to go into the villages f Miyaganj Block of Unnao District to conduct social audit of the NREGS, the DM Rajshekhar addressed a gathering of citizens of this Block. He said that he would not tolerate any discrepancy in muster rolls as well as measurement books.A number of officials and people responsible for implementation of this scheme believe that only one of the two documents can be prepared honestly, the other will have to be manipulated to fit the first. He said that NREGS had tremendous potential to transform the rural landscape and standard of living of rural poor but equally there was enough possibility for...
The preparations are underway to conduct the social audit of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Miyaganj development block of Unnao district in UP.The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 bestows the rights to citizens to conduct a social audit of the work carried out under the act.Before this Act came into place, the citizens had the only choice to lodge a complaint with concerned officer reporting the drawbacks or shortcomings. It was completely on the discretion of the officer whether to take that complaint forward and act upon it, or drop it. The citizens were mute spectators and the right to act upon a complaint or turn a blind's eye to it was the privileges...
The DHD Jewel group has withdrawn the ban it earlier imposed on the rail broadgauge and National Highway construction projects in North Cachar hills district. This was disclosed by publicity secretary of the banned insurgent outfit Faifring Dimasa while he was speaking to a private satellite TV news channel.Notably, altogether 25 people have lost their lives and four others injured during these incidents violence in the district. Twelve victims are workers with the railway broadgauge and National Highway construction projects. Moreover, the insurgent groups forced the halt of these projects saying they will not allow these works to continue. But the outfit declared its thirteen cadres as...
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