SIFF serves ultimatum to NEEPCO

From our correspondent

Itagar, September 10: The Siang Indigenous Farmer’s Forum (SIFF) has served an ultimatum to the NEEPCO authorities to immediately close its office at Upper Siang district within 15 days and threatened to launch democratic movement if the Corporation fail to abide. In a letter addressed to the NEEPCO Project Mager of Siang Upper Stage-II HEP (3750 MW), the Forum stated that the ultimatum was as per the five-point resolution adopted during its meeting held on September 6 last. The resolution inter-alia contains decision that democratic form of strike shall be called during the last part of September in undivided Siang districts to register their protest against construction of 3 proposed mega dams over Siang River, an official communiqué informed. Moreover, the anti-dam activists of the SIFF are very vigilant on the ongoing activities of the NEEPCO and its consultant company Rush Hydro and trying to check any activities related to the project on the ground. The SIFF is hell bent to stop even prelimiry works like DPR preparation and initial survey and investigation for the aforesaid Hydro electric projects believing that the state government would forcibly complete the project once DPR is prepared. Earlier the Power Commissioner on behalf of the state government had a discussion with the people of project affected area on May 5 last at Jengging where the affected people spearheaded by SIFF vehemently opposed the proposed HEP and also expressed their reluctance to allow even prelimiry survey and investigation work fearing that once it is allowed, the project would inevitably materialize. The district administration had tried to discourage the representatives of the SIFF from resorting to violence and crimil intimidation for getting their demands fulfilled but the SIFF members present did not seem to be fully convinced and expressed their intentions to carry on as decided during their meeting on September 6 last. However, the district administration has convened a meeting of PRI members, affected persons including SIFF and department concerned along with NEEPCO on September 12 next to discuss about the proposed enumeration of land owners and area of the land to be affected by the HEP, the communiqué added.