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.
5 May 2008 - 8:35pm | editor
The unification of Assam’s regional parties have reached a crucial stage with the Asom Gana Parishad is hunkering down with three of its breakaway groups at its party headquarters on Monday....
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“I am confident. We will get all the seats where the Lok Sabha polls held on Monday,” this was what chief minister Tarun Gogoi said a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls passed off...
The move to accord ST status for six communities hits a major hurdle in the face of a statewide agitation by the tribal bodies.Speaking to Assamtimes, the All Assam Tribal Sangha (AATS) leaders here say they will oppose the move tooth and nail apprehending that it could jeopardise their existing rights they have been enjoying till today. “Its a gameplane in the time of panchayat polls which will force us to come out to the streets,” they say.On Thursday addressing the media people, the Association general secretary Aditya Khakhlari said they would not sit idle if the government further proceeds with this move which can hit their interest. The leaders of the All Assam Tribal...
Jiban, an Assamese magazine, requests your kind help in choosing 10 persons of the year 2007, who belong to Assam (of Assam, may or may not live in Assam or India). They may be from any field from politics to sports to science to culture to business to anything. (Age no bar). You may suggest upto 10 names. Your suggestions are most welcome latest by December 10. (Kindly note that suggestions will be treated as suggestions, and not votes. More mails for a person wont imply that he/she would get more weightage.)Please email to: jiban.magazine@yahoo.comSuresh Ranjan GodukaEditor, Jiban, GuwahatiPh. 0361-2462817, 09954192884
he Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) staged a demonstration on Wednesday in the capital demanding ST status for Adivasis, Ahome, Koch, Morans and Mataks. The regional party further demanded immediate dismissal of the Tarun Gogoi government for his failure to control the mob violence in Beltola on November 24.
An all party delegation will be leaving for New Delhi on December 9 to press the demand for ensuring ST status to the Adivasis, Morans, Mataks, Koches, Chutias and Ahomes.The decision was taken at an all party meeting convened to discuss the issue in Dispur on Monday. The meeting further decided to call on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, home minister Shivraj Patil, tribal development minister P Rkyndiah.The delegation will once again submit the Assembly resolution passed in 2005 for scheduliong these six communities.
A full circle political blamegame centring around the Beltola violence is being hijacked to New Delhi to get more colour.The political leaders hailing from Jharkhand have already reached the capital saying the Adivasi people are besetted with a plethora of problems and that the ruling clique, mostly the Congress party is responsible for these state of affairs.And the state leaders? They are not laging behind. Former Chief Minister and the lone legislator from the Pragatisheel Asom Gana Parishad Prafulla Kumar Mahanta is camping here.Not only that, the MLA from Kaliabor, being indicted in the secret killing cases by the K N Saikia Commission, has called on President Pratibha Patil and...
Govt postpones Constabulary interviews The recruitment test and interview for the post of AD Constable in Darrang district for candidates bearing Roll no. 5001 to 5200 will be held on December 5 at 3rd APTF Ground, Khajuabil.The physical efficiency test and interview of AB constable at Police Reserve, Tezpur from Roll no. 4001 to 4250 will be held on December 3.The interview for women AB Constable from Roll no. 501 to 665 will be held on December 4.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) says the Beltola violence is a managed one and was done to divide the Assamese.In its latest edition of its mouthpiece Freedom, the proscribed outfit says the rush of political leaders from outside makes it a clear that the protesters were made a scapegoat.To make the violence more effective, bandhs have also been called in Jharkhand, it says.The ULFA accuses a section political leaders of trying to disrupt the protestors on the day of violence in Beltola.
Assam Day, also known as the Syukapha Day, is being observed on Sunday with a series of programmes across the state.Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is schedule give away the Sukapha Award to noted citizen and journalist Padma Borkotoky at a function at the Rabindra Bhawan in the evening.Organised by the department of cultural affairs, minister for cultural affairs Gautom Bora and prominent historian Dr Jogen Phukan will attend the function.
The Union Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Arjun Singh laid the foundation stone for the seventh Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong today. The institute named after the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, will be the first IIM in the north-eastern region. It will start functioning from next academic year from a temporary campus in Shillong city with 60 students for Post Graduate diploma in Business Management in the first year. Subsequently, it will be expanded to 120 seats in the third year and 180 in the sixth year. It will also provide specialized courses to meet the specific need of the region. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony, Mr. Arjan Singh that...
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