GUWAHATI, June 12 � The Central government will take the people of the NE and the governments of the region into confidence while executing mega dam projects proposed in the region, said Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances (2014-15) Dr Ramesh Pokhrujel Nishank while addressing a press conference here late last evening.
The Committee is on a two-day tour of the NE region on the issues concerning tourism and power generation. Yesterday was the first day of its visit.
In reply to a question as to whether it was not a breach of trust on the part of the Union government when its Water Resources Minister declared unilaterally that the 9,600-MW Middle Siang Hydel Project would be executed forthwith at a time when the assurance of the Union Power Minister to the people of the NE region that the downstream impacts of the proposed mega hydel projects would be assessed by the expert committees before going for their execution had remained unfulfilled, he said all-round development of the NE region is high on the agenda of the Central government.
�Things (projects like the mega hydel ones) would be done taking the people and governments of the region into confidence,� he said, pointing to the fact that only around 3,000 MW of hydel power has been harnessed in the region against its estimated hydel energy potential of 60,000 MW.
Yesterday, the Parliamentary Committee headed by him was here to know from the NEEPCO as to what plans it had to harness the hydel energy potential of the region, he said. Issues concerning tourism were also discussed with the officials concerned, he added.
He also informed that it was due to the efforts of the Union government that the number of foreign tourists visiting the region doubled last year, compared to previous year.
It needs mention here that the Committee on Government Assurances scrutinizes the assurances, promises, undertakings, etc., of Ministers and report to Lok Sabha on the extent to which such assurances have been put into operation.
