Govt convenes meetings with power developers

ITANAGAR, 7 Jul: Taking cognisance of the implementation of the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Project prior to the formation of a state hydropower policy, a decision was arrived at during a meeting here on Thursday to draft a new document by the end of this month “in mutual agreement.”

In another decision, after a discussion on the issues raised by the Subansiri Lower Project Implementation Committee, the NHPC Ltd and the hydropower department were asked to sit together and resolve the issue at the earliest.

These decisions were taken during two separate meetings held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, following the issues raised by the Ranganadi Hydroelectric Project MoU Demand Committee and the Subansiri Lower Project Implementation Committee with the NEEPCO and the NHPC Ltd, in the presence of local representatives and project-affected people.

Mein urged the power developers not to deprive the project-affected people of “the genuine demands,” adding that “the government is very much concerned about the benefits due to the project-affected people.”

He urged the power developers to take up community development programmes under their CSR schemes for the benefit of the local people, and to “work in mutual cooperation and understanding with the local community as the state has huge scopes in hydropower development.”

Education Minister Taba Tedir, former chief minister and Sagalee MLA Nabam Tuki, power department adviser Balo Raja, APEDA Chairman Mopi Mihu, Hydropower Commissioner Prashant Lokhande, the land management secretary, the DCs of Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri and Lower Siang districts, Chief Engineer (Monitoring) RK Joshi, Dibang Multipurpose Project Executive Director Janesh Sahni and NEEPCO Director Anil Kumar attended the meetings. (DCM’s PR Cell)