DMAP alleges corruption in Hydropower projects in Arunachal

 A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The President of the Pro-Dam Movement of Arunachal Pradesh (PDMAP) Taw Paul alleged Chief Minister Pema Khandu led the State government to the involvement of huge corruption practices in the Hydro-Power projects being executed in the State.

Paul claimed that huge liabilities have been shouldered upon the State government, which in years to come will have a worse impact on the State and its people. Therefore, the public should raise their voices against the present state movement for misusing the rivers and forests for personal gains.

"There are 68 companies who signed MoU with the State government. These big companies have more interest in availing upfront money from the hydro-power projects and not generating employment or revenue in the state. Moreover, I am not against dam construction but the working system of the state government as well as the executing companies," Paul said while addressing the media person at the press club on Wednesday. He said that the most concerning issue is that till date there is not a single employment generation in any of the dam construction companies. The matter is serious and the public should understand it.

"There is a framed criterion that job reservation should be prioritized for the locals of the state. Also, the entire recruitment of employees is being performed in the NEEPCO office, in Shillong. Hence, the office should be shifted to the state and equal job opportunities should be given to the locals," he added. Besides job reservations, Paul said that the companies have failed to supply free electricity in the State. Paul questioned the government about the detailed expenditure incurred on the hydropower project of Rs. 1495 (approx) crores, immediate cancellation of 103 memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed by the State government with several private and public power companies. Informing that the State government had taken a loan of Rs. 225 crores from the NHPC Ltd at 9 per cent interest per annum to revive the Apex Bank, Paul said that the money has not yet been returned in full to the NHPC. Though it was loaned for the public interest, such huge steps will have future consequences. According to the authorities of Apex Bank, the bank received some amount of the total Rs. 225 crore borrowed from NHPC Ltd.

However, the rest amount is yet to be paid back by the State government. "Therefore, I appeal to the public to stop any ongoing hydropower work in their areas. Such illegal logging activities are carried out outside the notified submergence area of the project, thereby causing random loss of flora and fauna. Also, such projects are of no use when they can't provide jobs for our unemployed youths and generate revenue for the state exchequer," he added. Paul also informed that his organization will soon announce a mass rally regarding the matter in the state capital, Itanagar.

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