सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Khotang. Locals of Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality here have shut down the project after the company operating the hydropower project did not pay compensation for the use of the land.
The locals, who have been protesting for a long time for not receiving compensation, have diverted water from the dam of the three-megawatt Upper Rawakhola Hydropower Project, which is produced from Rawakhola, located on the border of Sungdel and Dipsung, to the river and shut down the project.
Rawa Energy Development Company Limited, Halesi Energy Company Limited and Lower Mid Rawakhola Hydroelectric Project have operated three different hydroelectric projects in Rawakhola. Locals of Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality-4 Baksila, 6 Dipsung and 7 Sungdel have complained that they have not received compensation from the hydropower project operating company.
The phased movement was launched after the locals have not yet received compensation for the land used in the transmission and pipeline expansion of the hydropower project, said Maitiraj Rai, coordinator of the Private and Public Property Protection Struggle Committee.
‘All three hydropower project companies operating in Rawakhola have not paid compensation to the landowners. They have cheated the locals,’ he said. ‘We have also informed the local government about the people being cheated. No hearing has been held so far. After the compensation was not provided to the concerned landowners within the stipulated time, the project was closed by diverting the water to the river as per the scheduled program.’
The transmission line of the under-construction Halesi Energy Company Limited Hydropower Project has used the land of 49 houses, including 38 people from Baksila. The Sangharsh Samiti has stated that about 5,200 meters of local land have been used in the process of installing the hydropower poles and wires.
38 plots of land, including 24 from Sungdel, two from Baksila and one from Dipsung, have been used in the process of expanding the pipeline. The landowners have complained that Rawa Energy Development Pvt. Ltd. has undertaken transmission work saying that it will provide compensation after the completion of the electricity work, but has not yet paid the compensation.
Rawa Energy Development Pvt. Ltd. had started the pipeline work after the completion of the electricity work, with the intention of compensating all the landowners and transferring the damaged land to the company’s name. However, the Sangharsh Samiti says that the agreement has not been implemented so far.
The Sangharsh Samiti alleges that Rawa Energy Development Pvt. Ltd. has not released ten percent of the water into the river. Halesi Energy Company Limited, which is preparing to generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity, is carrying out pipeline work on Krishna Maya Khatri’s land, contrary to the Supreme Court’s order.
The Sangharsh Samiti has stated that the under-construction Halesi Energy Company Limited has used 384 ropanis of government land in six plots without completing the process of generating electricity. Halesi Energy is preparing to generate electricity by building a reservoir in Sungdel and a power house in Baksila.
After the locals shut down the hydropower project over the compensation dispute, both parties were called to the rural municipality office for discussions today, informed the rural municipality chief Sameer Rai.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्