KMSS asks state power minister to ‘stop lying’
Reacting to the recent ‘blatant lies’ of the Assam Power Minister, Pradyut Bardoloi, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi made it clear that he is not opposed to the demand and need of power for the state, but he wanted to know the ‘secrets of the deal’ which made the state government to ignore all the facts related to the geographical and environmental needs of Assam.
Addressing the media persons in Guwahati recently, the RTI activist, Akhil Gogoi said that the power minister had given the history of Lower Subansiri Project. He said an unknown fact of this history was that the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) report of October 2001 gave rank ‘C’ to 2000 MW Lower Subansiri project, which was taken up in a hurry. He added that the CEA preliminary ranking study of the nationwide potential of hydroelectric schemes examined 168 projects in the Northeast, out of which 149 were given ranks A and B indicating higher priority for taking up.
Lower Subansiri project was not in the first 149 projects and was in fact given rank ‘C’ primarily due to the inter-state dispute. He questioned why the project was pushed forward in a hurry despite being identified as a priority project? An impression had been given by the minister that the Inter-ministerial group (IMG) on NE Hydro had been set up as a result of the concerns about impacts of dams raised by Assam government. The IMG was only formed to evolve a suitable frame work to guide and accelerate the development of hydro-power in the North Eastern Region. Its only aim was to accelerate hydropower in NE. While the IMG report did not recommend basin wide studies in Subansiri and Siang basins, Gogoi alleged that the people of Assam were being misled by referring to this decision as a ‘progressive step’. In fact in an ongoing case in the Green Tribunal (formerly National Environmental Appellate Authority) it was justified granting clearance to the 1750 MW Demwe Lower project without the completion of full Lohit river basin study by citing the recommendation of Inter-ministerial Group report, which is being portrayed by Assam Govt as being progressive.
The KMSS leader said that the Assam Expert Committee (IIT Guwahati, Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University) met the Expert appraisal Committee on river Valley and Hydro-electric projects of the MoEF on December 11, 2011. Subsequent to that they invited them to Gerukamukh for further discussions, but this invitation was not acknowledged by the EAC or MoEF and there has been complete silence for the last six months. He alleged that instead of logically completing the discussion between the multi-disciplinary Assam Expert Committee and multi-disciplinary MoEF’s EAC, the Centre again handed the issue to two engineer-dominated committees only. The Assam Expert Committee has thus been purposely bypassed because it did not serve ‘dam lobby’s purpose’.
Gogoi alleged that the power minister himself had taken lead in forming this new committee and now he should also take moral responsibility for disowning this committee. He asked the minister to know that the dam construction was not only a matter of civil engineering. All branches of science and social sciences have their own role. He warned that the dam lobby does not want to understand this fact.
The KMSS leader made it clear that his organization was not against large dams, but even for those who are pro-dams in Assam, is not it logical to argue that till all the demands of Government of Assam are satisfied in black and white (legally and written form), they should ask for a moratorium on dams in the region? The power minister makes hypothetical claims they have no concurrence from Government of India as yet and he asked to stop ‘telling lies’.
Other Contents by Author
It’s true there are no permanent friends and foes in the politics. Onetime foes are sometimes very much helpful to keep one’s interest fulfilled, of course on their own terms. For a long time in Assam, there were speculations about ruling Congress Party joining hands with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The AIUDF chief, Badaruddin Ajmal had approached Congress Party chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and other party leaders to have an alliance in the mutual interest. But having champion’s position in the Assembly polls by making win thrice, the Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi was not in favor of having any link as he was not in good terms with AIUDF chief, Ajmal.Now, since the Bharatiya...
Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) is facing problems of rampant extortion from businessmen, farmers, employees and general people and kidnapping of businessmen. The business community like Hindi and Bengali speaking are largely targeted by some illusive extremist elements whose real objective is to make money for them and create terror in the area. The premier students’ organization of Bodoland, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) through a memorandum, has urged the Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde to take action against ongoing acts of kidnapping, extortion and illegal taxations in the area due to failure of law and order.The workers and farmers belonging to Bodos...
Save Assam, a voluntary organization of the state of Assam has requested the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh to reject the ongoing demands of further dividing Assam by several organizations and get necessary amendments in the Constitution of India to include the Koch Rajbongshis, Ahom, Chutia,Moran, Matok and Tea Tribes in the list of Scheduled tribes.In a memorandum recently sent to the Prime Minister, the organization has said that since the independence of the country, Assam has been cut short several times. During the year1963, a new state namely, Nagaland came into existence by cutting a part of the state. Again during the year 1971 two other states, namely, Mizoram and Meghalaya...
Out of 543 Lok Sabha and 242 Rajya Sabha members about 146 (104 and 42 respectively) are beneficiary of drawing public money through Parliamentary secretariat on account of availing services of their kin as their personal secretaries and assistants. Among them there are five Parliament members from Assam. It is reported that they are drawing rupees thirty thousand per month from parliamentary secretariat on account of their family members like father, wife, daughter etc. According to sources in parliamentary secretariat, Rajya Sabha member Bhubaneswar Kalita, Barpeta’s MP Ismail Hussain, Guwahati’s MP Bijoya Chakravorty, Nagaon’s MP Rajen Gohain and BPF MP S K Bwismuthiary are drawing all...
Higher and technical educational scenario of the Northeastern region have been drastically changing from last five years. Although facilities of world class institutions are now available in the region itself, every year a large number of students from the region fall in the trap of not only fake institutions, but also some approved institutions without required facilities because of their colorful advertisements and aggressive marketing. Thus spake M Haque, the president of North East Forum for Technical Institutions while addressing the media recently in Guwahati.The North East Forum for Technical Institutions (NEFTi) is the first of its kind initiative with an objective to work for...
Tripura state government has put the state on top in implementation of MGENREGA scheme for the fourth time during the financial year 2012-13. The state has kept itself on the top by providing 86 workdays against the prescribed 100 days, whereas the national figure stood 39 workdays during this period. Addressing the media persons in Agartala recently, Tripura’s rural development minister, Jitendra Choudhury said that even during the years 2011-12, the state achieved the target of 86 workdays. The state of Mizoram got the second position in the country by working 69.25 workdays. The state of Tamil Nadu by achieving 51.26 days was the third and Andhra Pradesh stood fourth by providing 49.61...
The essence of a woman is very difficult to be comprehended as a woman is the origin of child and she is the core of the family. Unfortunately, due to the age old customs and prejudices prevalent in our society, she is made to feel inferior and gradually one perceived her to be weak. Injustice and discrimination against women started to occur and in modern times it reached an alarming rate and hence a situation arose where it became imperative to take measurers to prevent such atrocities towards women, argued a number of social activist belonging to Prithibi, an NGO for women and children on the recent Women’s Day on 8th of March 2013.Prithibi, the NGO is working for welfare of women and...
The Congress Party general secretary, Rahul Gandhi, projected by his party as the future prime minister of the country, has proved to be failure for the post due to his shyness and escaping from sharing administrative responsibilities despite frequent appeals by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. The young and old party leaders providing encouraging support in his favor also desired that he should come at the forefront now and make the party’s future strong enough.
Rahul Gandhi might be feeling uncomfortable assessing his own ability as during the earlier Assembly elections in Bihar, he was asked to campaign against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), but his party’s position...
Assam government’s dubious decisions and bias actions are giving birth to new problems for thepeaceful citizens of the state day by day. The Dimasa dominated North Cachar Hills Autonomous Councilhad earlier in the year 2008 demanded to change the name of the district after the Dimasa. The district’sNon-Dimasa people raised their voice against this demand. They formed a new platform to protest bythe name of Indigenous Peoples’ Forum (IPF).The Government of Assam bowed down before the tyrannical demand of DHD(J) to change the districtsname as Dima Hasao on March 30,2010 in the backdrop of the rupees thousand crore scam in thedistrict, said IPF General Secretary, Ngaidam...
Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in its latest report released in Guwahati on October 22, 2012 has claimed that juvenile justice in Manipur has been suspended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development due to corruption and misuse of the resources. The Manipur government had claimed that Juvenile Justice Boards (JJBs) have been set up in all the nine districts and the Project Approval Board (PAB) for the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of the WCD ministry in its 14th meeting on 22 February 2011 approved the grants for nine JJBs. However, the state government failed to establish the JJBs, the PAB in its meeting held on January 17, 2012 and the ministry had no other option...
Add new comment