NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Feb 17 � The Krishak Mukti Sangaram Samiti (KMSS) today accused the Group of Ministers of betraying the wishes of the people of Assam by agreeing to continue the construction of the mega dam over Subansiri river in Gerukamukh as demanded by the National Hydro-electrical Power Corporation (NHPC). This was stated by KMSS secretary Akhil Gogoi in a press conference held on the road blockade side off National Highway-52 at Ghagar Nagar, 30 km east of North Lakhimpur.
In his statement, Akhil Gogoi said that the GoM had not only betrayed the expert committee�s recommendations concerning the dangers of the Gerukamukh dam but also that of the House Committee of the State Assembly and the general public by giving green signal to NHPC to continue the construction of the dam in their meeting held yesterday.
He came down heavily on State Power Minister Pardyut Bordoloi accusing him of using the dam lobby�s support to become the Chief Minister of Assam. He also said that corporate giants like Reliance, Zindal and Jay Pee Group had been eyeing another two hundred dams in the entire North East for power production and therefore they were pressing hard for the completion of the work of the Gerukamukh dam. Akhil Gogoi referred to the interview given to Tehelka by Prdyut Bordoloi in which he had rejected the idea of producing electricity at a high cost involving collateral damage and criticized him for making a U-turn from his earlier stand. He also condemned the NHPC�s stand in dismissing the expert committee�s suggestion of redesigning and changing of its original plan in yesterday�s meeting. He expressed great concern over the transfer of Lakhimpur SP David Nythong for using brutal force on anti-dam protesters. The KMSS, along with AJYCP, AATASU, TMPK, AACSU, AADSU, AAMSU, AASKSU and others, would organize a mammoth agitation against big dams in the coming days, he said.
Our Staff Reporter adds: Meanwhile, criticizing the announcement made by Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi following the meeting of the Group of Ministers with the NHPC that work on the Lower Subansiri project would not be stopped, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) today termed the Government's stand as anti-people, and said that the anti-dam movement would be intensified further.
