SIKKIM: NHPC issues raised by CM to Union Power Minister

Gangtok: Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling called on Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Power Minister Monday, March 7, to call his attention to disquieting issues arising of NHPC project work in the State.

1. The NHPC should implement the Memorandum of Understanding with the State Government in letter and in spirit.

2. Local persons employed by NHPC should be regularised and paid at par with the other regular employees of the NHPC without any distinction in their salary structure.

3. He pointed out the problems faced by the people of different areas where NHPC works are in progress which have resulted in damages to the land and housing properties of the villagers. The vibrations have caused many of the areas to sink down. In this connection, he made a pointed reference to the severe damages faced by the people of Dipudara village in East Sikkim due to water leakages and seepages along the Tunnel and surge shaft area of NHPC Stage V resulting in land slippage, land cracks and building sinking and damages. The Primary School building at Dipudara though constructed by NHPC had again cracked and now being run in a rented building. These speak of the severity of the damages. The Chief Minister requested for the early acquisition of land of the people of Dipudara village and by making an early payment of land and building compensation to them so that these villagers could be appropriately resettled in some other place. 4.The Union Minister Mr. Shinde gave a positive response to all the points raised by the Chief Minister and directed his Ministry officials to expeditiously deal with these issues to resolve them in a most favourable manner.

(FROM SIKKIM REPORTER / EDITED BY ASHOK CHATTERJEE)