Land donors furious as NEEPCO fails to provide jobs

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, June 27: The Pare Project Land Affected Welfare Committee (PPLAWC) has alleged that NEEPCO is depriving the project affected people in the recruitment process. In a release here today, the committee claimed that in 2012 NEEPCO had promised to recruit 50 youths from project affected families and accordingly an agreement was signed to this effect by NEEPCO and PPLAWC.

“As per agreement, 50 youths were sent to Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) Roing and Tezpur to get training in various fields. The youth were selected from project affect families and verified by DC Yupia. Later the DC forwarded mes to Chairman-cum- maging Director, NEEPCO Ltd. The two-year training was sponsored by NEEPCO and as per the agreement after finishing of training they were supposed to be employed by NEEPCO,” informed PPLAWC.

However, much to the disappointment of project affected people, NEEPCO backtracked from its promise and has been making excuses.

“Instead of employing project affected people who have been properly trained at ITIs; recently NEEPCO carried out special recruitment drive for SC/ ST/OBC and selected candidates from other states.

This is an insult to us and we will not accept it. NEEPCO had signed an agreement to employ 50 youths and they should honour it. We have already lost our land and now NEEPCO is adding insult to our injury,” added PPLAWC. The committee has given time till today to the corporation authorities to cancel appointment made under special recruitment drive and appointment all the 50 project affected ITI trainees.

“If they do not listen to us, we are ready for any eventuality. This is fight for our rights and we assure NEEPCO authorities that this time we will not back off until they met our demand,” they added. The Pare Project Land Affected Welfare Committee has made a fervent appeal to the Chief Minister Kalikho Pul to intervene in the said matter.

This is not for the first that time NEEPCO has come under scanner of project affected people. Local people of Yazali, where NEEPCO has 400 MW hydro project functioning had also made similar allegation that locals are deprived in recruitment process.

“Eighty per cent work force of NEEPCO comprises from other states. Even for group C & D categories which are normally reserved for local project affected people, the NEEPCO has been recruiting people from other states. State government should look into these matters. These are serious emotiol issue and have potential to develop into a law and order issue,” said a project affected people.