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.
Simmering clashes in BTAD areas dominated parliament proceedings when it resumed on Wednesday forcing the Lok Sabha Speaker to adjourn the House for a few hours. The Opposition parties storm the well demanding action on the issue despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance that all issues will be discussed in Parliament.
Dr Singh said that the government is prepared to discuss any issue in accordance with rules and hoped the Opposition will allow the two houses to function smoothly without disruptions. He said a decision on his statement on Assam violence would be based on what happens in Parliament. Singh said he hoped all political parties would cooperate with the government in...
The United Liberation Front of Asom has expelled its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa citing his failure to go back to the jungles. In a statement issued to media on Thursday, the outfit’s anti-talk faction said that Dr Abhijit Asom alias Abhijit Barman would replace him. The outfit alleged that they earlier served an ultimatum to leave the government hospitality but he failed to accede to it.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has set up a special team to probe the ethnic clash in BTAD areas and Dhubri where 73 died and thousands of people have been displaced. According to sources, the special team will be arriving in Assam on Thursday to inspect the four violence-hit districts from Friday. The country’s premier investigation agency will take up the larger conspiracy cases. The development comes two days after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi demanded a CBI probe into the violence.
In a major setback to peace initiatives, NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary faction has withdrawn the unilateral ceasefire announced ten months ago. According to a statement signed by IK Songbijit, the decision to withdraw the unilateral declaration for cessation from all types of violence has been taken after considering all aspects of present situation. The Ranjan Daimary faction is the breakaway group of parent NDFB, which renamed itself as NDFB (Progressive), after signing the bilateral truce with the Centre in 2005. The faction has its presence in Myanmar, sharing camps with the anti-talks faction of Ulfa and NSCN (Khaplang).
Railway Police arrested one person in connection with sensational murder of Pritam Bhattacharjee last month.Identified as Chhatu Sahni, the accused has been arrested based on information given by two eyewitnesses and is being questioned in Barauni in Bihar. Bhattacharjee, a student of atomic physics from Assam was travelling from Guwahati to Delhi in Avadh Assam express to pursue his PhD in New Delhi. When the train was passing through Naugachia in Bhagalpur in eastern Bihar, he was attacked by thieves in his compartment on July 9.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said on Tuesday that CBI will probe into the group clash in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts where death toll has gone upto 73.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Gogoi said that he has asked his ministers in tour to come back to the state immediately. He said that the group clash may be spread to other places. In yet another development, forest minister Rockybul Hussain is his way back to Assam from London where he was attending the Olympic. The instruction assumes significance a day after Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma left for Delhi.
An awareness event on Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva is going to be held at Kamini Auditorium, New Delhi on September 13, 2012. The event would comprise of a Presentation on Sankaradeva followed by one hour thematic performance of a dance-drama, “Chordhora Jhumura”. The event is being organised by Trend MMS in collaboration with Assam Association, Government of Assam and Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The main aim of the eventy is to:
- Make people residing in National Capital aware of the great teachings and rich cultural heritage of Assam initiated way back in the 15th century. Media would be the one of the stakeholders, whose attention would be sought to...
Violence resurfaces in BTAD areas. Three more persons were killed while two others injured in Kokrajhar district taking the death toll to 64. This has forced the authorities to reimpose curfew in the district. Indefinite curfew continues in the Chirang district following fresh reports of arson.
Unidentified miscreants indiscriminately fired in Ranibuli village under Kokrajhar police station on Monday midnight killing three persons and seriously injuring two others. Police and para-military forces were rushed to the affected areas. It takes place after four people were killed in a similar act of violence on Sundayt. The two injured were rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. At...
BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Monday slammed Congress accusing it of using Bangladeshi immigrant for vote bank politics in Assam. Talking to reporters in Agra, Gadkari alleged that the ruling party has politicized the entire conflict for its political gain. He said that the population of the Bangladeshis immigrants increased by 80 per cent and that the Bangladeshis completely occupied the state and managed to purchase property there.
After the anti-corruption cell raided his Tarun Nagar based residence and firm house, RH Khan said that he was the victim of a nefarious conspiracy. Talking to reporters on Monday in Guwahati, the main accused in the multi crore dima Hasao scam said that he had nothing to hide and that NIA and CBI have already probed the scam. Notably, chief minister’s anti corruption and vigilance cell recently seized some incriminating materials during a raid at his residence in Guwahati.
Comments
Pages
Add new comment