11th plan target could not be met due to environmental problems

The Planning Commission and Power Ministry are believed to have reached a consensus over fixing the capacity addition target at 90,000 MW for the next five years. Earlier, Power Ministry had proposed a target of adding 76,000 MW in the current 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), keeping fuel constraints in mind. On the other hand Planning Commission wanted the target to be 1,00,000 MW, as the power demand is very high.

SIVASAGAR: Continuing its protest against construction of mega dams at the site of Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), the Sivasagar district unit led by its district general secretary Raju Gogoi, advisor Lu-chun-Shyam Gohain, publicity secretary Jadumoni Bora and Nari Mukti Sangram Samiti, Sivasagar district president and sister of the peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, Ambika Gogoi Saikia today, led a procession from the Boarding Field here to Sivasagar DC Court, and staged a dharna demanding immediate halt to the construction of the dam.

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Lawyers’ Association has slammed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his statement on Akhil Gogoi’s hunger strike in the city.

The Chief Minister dismissed Akhil’s protest stating that the government was not going to invite him for talks. The Chief Minister stated, “Akhil’s protest had political motives. But we are not going to invite him for talks.” General Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Akhil Gogoi, who has been leading the anti-big dam campaign in the State, started his indefinite hunger strike in the city from May 19.

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Shramik Krishak Kalyan Parishad (AASKKP) has decried the role of the State Government and the police in the atrocities being meted out on anti-dam protesters at Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district. In a meeting of the central executive committee of the workers’ body held in Guwahati today, the alleged police atrocities on the anti-dam protesters was strongly condemned.

NEW DELHI, May 18 – Notwithstanding the controversy over the construction of mega dams in the North-east, the Centre has ruled out the possibility of reviewing the proposals for the construction of the big dams in the region. Union Minister of State for Power KCVenugopal, however, added that the concern of the local people on the safety of the dams including the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project and 1750-MW Lower Demwe Hydroelectric Project have been given due consideration.

Guwahati: Assam’s farmer leader and anti-dam activist Akhil Gogoi has decided to start an indefinite hunger-strike here from Sunday to pressurize the state government to stop what he alleged were atrocities on anti-dam activists in Lakhimpur district.

Akhil Gogoi’s Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and several other organisations have been preventing the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) from carrying construction materials to the lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power (LSHP) project site in the district since December 26, 2011.

DIBRUGARH: The Dibrugarh district unit of AJYCP held a sit-in-demonstration here today, in support of their demand to halt construction of mega dams in the State.

In their statement, the organization also expressed anger over the removal of check gate and camp by the police and CRPF on May 11.Voicing their protest against the atrocities on agitators and sending of innocent people to jail, they reiterated their determination to carry on their opposition to mega river dams.

Guwahati: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), a powerful and well known farmers’ body in Assam, on Tuesday accused the Congress government in the state of taking away “space” for democratic protests and warned this will only help forces like the Maoists to grow.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti general secretary and anti-dam activist Akhil Gogoi said here that the Maoists would take over the whole of Assam and dominate the state with their power if Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his government deprived the common people of the space for democratic movement and protests.

GUWAHATI/NORTH LAKHIMPUR: The anti-big dam groups like the KMSS, Asom Jatiyatabadi Tuva Chattra Parishad, All Assam Deuri Students’ Union, TMPK and others have said that they would continue their protests against the Lower Subansiri Project on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

Addressing the reporters jointly on Sunday, the members of the agitating groups, including KMSS general secretary Akhil Gogoi said that the anti-big dam groups would continue to block the transportation of construction materials to the Lower Subansiri Project site.

Guwahati: Accusing the NHPC of flouting norms in the formulation and implementation of the Subansiri Hydro Electric Project, RTI activist J N Khataniar said this could lead to “serious ecological and seismic problems in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring areas.”

Releasing details secured by means of RTI from the NHPC, the Brahmaputra Board and the Ministry for Environment and Forest, Khataniar told reporters here on Tuesday that the state sector power giant gave “misleading advertisements” in newspapers and media regarding the project.