ES Reporter

ITANAGAR, May 19:The Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project (RHEP) MoU Demand Committee on Friday has strongly condemned the NEEPCO authority for presenting what it terms a false report mentioning that the hydro power developer has recruited 179 tribal employees from the project affected people after commissioning of the mega project to the state government recently.

Expressing anguish over the development, the committee while criticizing the statement as a “blatant lie” has dared the NEEPCO to come up with the names, designation, year of recruitment, place of posting of the bogus employees. It further demanded the government, that if NEEPCO fails to authenticate the claim, the CMD must be immediately arrested while threatening to launch a movement against both state government and NEEPCO.

Addressing a press conference this afternoon at press club, RMDC Secretary, Tao Tana alleged that NEEPCO in a recent meeting with Chief Minister Pema Khandu misled him that there are 179 local employees in group –C & D at RHEP, Yazali at present.

‘As per our knowledge and data obtained thorough RTI, till date around 50 tribal people from Yazali area were engaged that too in temporary posts by NEEPCO,’ asserted Tana adding that presently RHEP employs 208 employees, of which only 36 have been selected from among the land affected people and rest are non APST.

‘NEEPCO is playing the same trick again like before, when they lied to the state government in their “rehabilitation proposal” that no village was uprooted after commissioning of the dam. Once again they have cheated the land donors beyond our belief and expectation by depriving locals of basic legitimate rights including jobs, compensation and other benefits from the project,’ alleged Tana.

Accusing the CMD, NEEPCO for misleading the government with false information and also attempting to play with the sentiments of the affected people, Tana cautioned that if NEEPCO fails to furnish the name of bogus employees, it will lodge an FIR against the CMD as well as launch series of bandh calls in the project affected area.

Meanwhile the committee also questioned the government for delay in implementing State Hydropower Policy (2008) and urged the government to implement it immediately or otherwise scrap the policy totally.

Further to mount more pressure, the Committee has decided to launch phase wise movement seeking immediate approval of their legitimate demands at   RHEP, HOP complex camp, Yazali from May 22 next as first phase, which will be followed by a 24 hour bandh call on June 19 and 36 hours bandh call on July 5 next.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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