[Karyir Riba]
ANINI, May 7: The Project Affected People Forum (PAPF) of the 3,097 MW Etalin Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Dibang Valley district undertaken by the SJVN Limited, has declared that no work under the project will be allowed to be carried out until compensation is paid to the affected people.
“No compensation, no work. We demand that thecompensation be paid immediately, without furtherdelay, and at the same time we are making it clearthat we will not be allowing any sort of activity within the project-affected area until the payment ofcompensation as per the provisions of the LARR Act, 2013,” the forum said.
It said: “Our rightful compensation is not being paid to us despite approval of the land acquisition award by the GoAP, which has already been forwarded to the executing agency, ie, the SJVN Ltd, for deposition.”
The forum had submitted a letter on 26 April regarding the matter to the adviser to the GoAP, the hydropower commissioner, the PCCF, the union power ministry director, the state LM secretary, the union CEA director, the SJVN director, the SJVN Etalin ED, the SJVN chairman, and the Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd’s head of project.
The letter read: “All the formalities have been completed but our compensation remains pending inordinately due to reasons best known to your authorities. Moreover, citing reasons/excuses of FC, PIB and CCA, etc, for non-deposition of compensation is uncalled for, as these are not grounds to delay, and as per LARR Act, 2013, there are no such provisions inhibiting from clearing the payment of compensation. Instead, it provides that the compensation should be paid prior to acquisition of land.”
The PAPF also requested the PCCF and the central government to clear the CA issues, if any, to promptly settle the matter, so as to facilitate smooth progress of the project.
“If any official involved in the project violates or executes any activities prior to payment of compensation after this letter, an FIR will be lodged against such officials/persons for contravention of various provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, land alienation, and atrocities against the ST community under the SC/ST Act,” it warned.
The forum further said, “We request you to immediately clear the compensation issue without further delay on priority, as we do not wish to be forced to knock on the doors of the honourable court for justice, right to fair compensation and end of justice as per the law of the land.”
The PAPF also wrote to the Dibang Valley DC on 6 May, requesting the DC to write a reminder letter to the authority concerned within a week, directing it to deposit the compensation.
“It is to state that the undersigned would be claiming additional interests as per the provisions of the Act for the delay caused throughout this entire process and further delays in future,” it added.
