GUWAHATI, Dec 6 � The State Government has whipped up another controversy on its callous attitude towards the issues concerning the interest of the State. This time, its Power Department has failed to convey in good time the invitation of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to the eight-member expert group to make presentation before the Ministry�s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects on the impact of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP). The EAC meeting is scheduled for December 11.
There is sufficient ground to believe that following a hue and cry in the State on the failure of the EAC to invite the eight-member committee to present its observations before it, the Ministry has now decided to invite the expert group to the EAC meeting.
Earlier, the EAC heard the NHPC on the issue and uploaded the NHPC version on the website of the Ministry in a manner that gave one the idea that the views offered by the NHPC were in fact the views of the EAC. This created quite an uproar.
The MoEF sent a DO Letter (D.O. No. H- 11011/5/2010-1A. I (Part file) Dated Nov 25, 2010) to the Principal Secretary, Power Department of the State stating that the Assam government had sent reports of the expert group and the Assam Assembly House Committee on the LSHEP. These reports were considered by the EAC at its meeting held in October last.
As such, it has been decided to hold a meeting of the EAC at 10-30 am of December 11 at the Van Vigyan Bhawan, Sector �V, R K Puram, New Delhi with the officials and experts of the Assam Government �in attendance to brief the EAC, � said the letter.
It therefore, requested that the Government officials concerned and the experts �may be deputed to be in attendance to the EAC meeting.� The letter was signed by J M Mauskar, Additional Secretary to the MoEF.
But till this afternoon, there was no intimation from the State Government to the expert group members to attend the December 11 meeting.
Prof Jatin Kalita of Gauhati University, who is the convenor of the expert group, told this correspondent that only an information over the phone on the said meeting was received this afternoon from the State�s Power Department. The caller also suggested that one of the expert group members should accompany the State Government officials to the December 11 meeting, said Prof Kalita.
He also told this correspondent that since the issue is a multi-disciplinary one, all the members of the expert group should be allowed to present their views on the LSHEP impact. It was the duty of the State Government to provide the expert group sufficient time to prepare for the proposed meeting, said Prof Kalita.
Again, Prof Kalita said, �We need a written letter on the basis of which we may prepare ourselves. We need to have discussion within ourselves for the purpose.�
All Assam Students� Union (AASU) adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told The Assam Tribune, �The absence of a response from the Assam Government to this invitation is part of a conspiracy. It has sided with the dam lobby, and therefore decided to keep quiet.�
�Why is it that the Assam Government does not want to send a team to attend the EAC meet at New Delhi? It is because the government does not want to have any discussion that could affect the construction of the dam,� Bhattacharya asserted. The expert group was formed in 2006 as per the decision of the tri-partite meeting held by the State Government, NHPC and the AASU.
GUWAHATI, Dec 6 � The State Government has whipped up another controversy on its callous attitude towards the issues concerning the interest of the State. This time, its Power Department has failed to convey in good time the invitation of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to the eight-member expert group to make presentation before the Ministry�s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects on the impact of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project (LSHEP). The EAC meeting is scheduled for December 11.
There is sufficient ground to believe that following a hue and cry in the State on the failure of the EAC to invite the eight-member committee to present its observations before it, the Ministry has now decided to invite the expert group to the EAC meeting.
Earlier, the EAC heard the NHPC on the issue and uploaded the NHPC version on the website of the Ministry in a manner that gave one the idea that the views offered by the NHPC were in fact the views of the EAC. This created quite an uproar.
The MoEF sent a DO Letter (D.O. No. H- 11011/5/2010-1A. I (Part file) Dated Nov 25, 2010) to the Principal Secretary, Power Department of the State stating that the Assam government had sent reports of the expert group and the Assam Assembly House Committee on the LSHEP. These reports were considered by the EAC at its meeting held in October last.
As such, it has been decided to hold a meeting of the EAC at 10-30 am of December 11 at the Van Vigyan Bhawan, Sector �V, R K Puram, New Delhi with the officials and experts of the Assam Government �in attendance to brief the EAC, � said the letter.
It therefore, requested that the Government officials concerned and the experts �may be deputed to be in attendance to the EAC meeting.� The letter was signed by J M Mauskar, Additional Secretary to the MoEF.
But till this afternoon, there was no intimation from the State Government to the expert group members to attend the December 11 meeting.
Prof Jatin Kalita of Gauhati University, who is the convenor of the expert group, told this correspondent that only an information over the phone on the said meeting was received this afternoon from the State�s Power Department. The caller also suggested that one of the expert group members should accompany the State Government officials to the December 11 meeting, said Prof Kalita.
He also told this correspondent that since the issue is a multi-disciplinary one, all the members of the expert group should be allowed to present their views on the LSHEP impact. It was the duty of the State Government to provide the expert group sufficient time to prepare for the proposed meeting, said Prof Kalita.
Again, Prof Kalita said, �We need a written letter on the basis of which we may prepare ourselves. We need to have discussion within ourselves for the purpose.�
All Assam Students� Union (AASU) adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told The Assam Tribune, �The absence of a response from the Assam Government to this invitation is part of a conspiracy. It has sided with the dam lobby, and therefore decided to keep quiet.�
�Why is it that the Assam Government does not want to send a team to attend the EAC meet at New Delhi? It is because the government does not want to have any discussion that could affect the construction of the dam,� Bhattacharya asserted. The expert group was formed in 2006 as per the decision of the tri-partite meeting held by the State Government, NHPC and the AASU.
