GUWAHATI, Oct 15 - Demanding a judicial probe into the Kopili hydroelectric power project disaster, the Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill on Tuesday rapped the Union government for not dealing with the issue with required urgency.
The hydro-power plant pipeline rupture incident in Umrangso was a warning for the government which is proceeding with more powerful Lower Subansiri Hydro-Electric Power project, said the forum here.
�Instead of holding a judicial probe to find out the lapses and fix accountability, the government shrugged off its responsibility by constituting an inquiry under a DIG-rank police official. Are they really serious about the issue?� asked Dr Hiren Gohain.
Eminent litterateur and former DGP Harekrishna Deka said the Assamese people�s concerns regarding the Lower Subansiri project have been validated after this disaster. �The LSHEP is far bigger in magnitude and the way Kopili incident is being handled, people are yet again apprehensive about the mega dams,� he said.
The Forum, which is opposing the Citizenship Act amendments and several other moves of the BJP-led governments in the State and Centre, expressed solidarity with the organisations opposing mega dams in the region.
�The Assam government has constituted a task force to deal with the anti-dam protesters. We reiterate that the people of Assam would not get bogged down due to such oppressive measures,� the forum added.
