Power grid companies slammed for 'violating' guidelines

From our Correspondent

KOKRAHAR, April 28: The Federation of Indigenous and Tribal People for public resistance to high voltage transmission lines and for safeguard to human life, environment, social-economic and land rights,  has strongly protested against the alleged arbitrary activities of two power companies related to the construction and erection of two high-power transmission lines through the BTC area without the prior consent of the owners of the land immovable properties and without giving adequate amount of compensation.

At a press conference held at Kokrajhar Press Club on Tuesday Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary, adviser of the Federation of Indigenous and Tribal People for public resistance to high voltage transmission lines, said that the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) had been trespassing into the lands and properties of the indigenous and tribal people of the BTAD area to construct the 800KV HV DC Bio-polar under PGCIL from Biswath Chariali, Sonitpur to Agra, Uttar Pradesh without the prior consent of the owners of the land and properties and without giving adequate compensation to the affected families.

Slamming the PGCIL he alleged the PGCIL had violated the clear-cut guidelines mentioned in the manual on transmission lines published by the Central Board of Irrigation and Power. As per this guidelines while construction transmission lines, villages, clusters of the hutments and buildings areas which involve risk to human life, damage to public and private properties, religion places habitation of important crops, good farming areas were supposed to be avoided, but the PGCIL had allegedly completely violated all these guidelines given by the concerned authorities.

Bwiswmuthiary also strongly criticized the Power Grid Corporation Ltd of the ASEB for trespassing into the land and properties of indigenous and tribal people of BTAD area while constructing the 220KV B/C power transmission line from Salakati to Rangia without prior consent of the owner of the lands and properties. He alleged that majority of the affected families had not been provided with adequate amount of compensation.

If the authority did not take proper measures for the affected people soon, the organization would launch a democratic movement, he said. A mass rally will be organized against the Power Grid Corporation Ltd of the ASEB for violating guidelines in Kokrajhar on April 30 where KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi will also be present.