Rattle HEP project hits road block
GVK, LNT fail to resume work, people threaten stir
Thousands of people from many areas held a protest demonstration against construction companies for their failure to initiate work on a prestigious power project here today.
According to reports, people from Drabshalla, Bunjwah and Thathri blocked Batote-Kishtwar highway at Drabshalla, about 25 km from Kishtwar today as protest against the GVK Power Projects Pvt Ltd and LNT ECC Company that are constructing 850 MW Rattle Hydro Electric Power Project on river Chenab here.
On the occasion, Congress state vice president and MLA Inderwal, G M Saroori said Rattle Power Project is the first mega hydropower project being constructed in the state on built, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis but the companies not only failed to start the work on this prestigious project but also did not give adequate land compensation to the inhabitants of Drabshalla, Kandani and Seeghad, set to dislocated due to the project.
He asked GVK management to resume the work on the project within a month or leave the project and give other companies a chance to construct the Rs 5000 crore project.
“There are thousands of unemployed youths in Drabshalla, Saroor, Bunjwah, Thathri, Kahara, Kishtwar and other adjoining areas who are having vast experience in handling various kinds of machineries being used in hydroelectric projects and also from projects like 390 Dool Hasti Power Project and 450 MW Baghliar Power Project”, Saroori said and added that after resuming the work on the project unemployed youth could get the opportunity of employment in the said project.
He said due to non-resuming of work on Rattle project, that state is losing nearly Rs 1500 crore annually on power tariff.
Chowdhary Salam Din, Suraj Prakash, Gulzar Ahmed Mattoo, Akhtar Khurwaey, Muhammad Iqbal Keen, Santosh Kumar, Tanveer Ahmed Mattoo, Swami Raj Bhagat, Muhammad Shafi, M Sultan Malik, Tanveer Ahmed Lone, Asgar Hussain, M Rafique, M Yasin Mattoo and other office bearers of Mazdoor Union raised various issues during the protest, which included resuming the work on the project, re-assessment of the public property that will be affected by Rattle Power Project in Kandni, Drabshalla and other adjacent areas, catchment area development, resettlement and rehabilitation of affected families on priority basis, employment to the local unemployed youth in the project on priority, conservation of aquatic life in river Chenab, management of emissions from various activities and machines for controlling pollution in the region and assessment of impact on various natural resources.
Later Additional DC Kishtwar, Avtar Singh Chib reached the spot with Additional SP, Abdul Qayoom and assured that district administration will take up the matter with GVK management for resuming the work and clearing all the balance liabilities of sub-contractor and wages of the labourers.
Notable, as per the agreement, GVK will hand over the project to the state government after 35 years from the date of commission settled for 2017.
