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Guwahati, March 9 : Despite of amid protest by several organizations, Assam assembly on Thursday unanimously asked the government to complete the stalled 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro power project soon.
The house favoured for stalling the halted hydro power project for greater intest of development of the state after the issue raised by BJP legislator Debananda Hazarika.
Assam assembly speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami said that, for the development in the state, the hydro power project should be completed soon.
The speaker asked the government to talk to the people of the state and protesting groups to complete the project.
"For greater public interest and development, it is necessary to complete the project soon. It is a good news that the all members of the house unanimously agreed to stall the halted project," the Assam assembly speaker said.
On the other hand, Assam state power minister Pallab Lochan Das said that, the state government is interested to talk with the all sections of people and the protesting groups to move ahead the project.
The state power minister further said that, around 56 percent works of the project constructed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) have been completed so far.
"Following the agitation against the project, an expert committee was formed and the committee had already submitted its report. Apart from the committee report, NHPC has accepted the recommendations by the protesters to redesign the dam," the minister said.
The Assam minister said that, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the power department will talk with the people of the state and other groups regarding the issue.
The Lower Subansiri Hydro power project's construction works at Gerukamukh was halted since December, 2011, following massive protests against the project by All Assam Students Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and other several
tribal organizations.
Initially, the project cost was estimated Rs 6285 crore and later the Union government had raised it to Rs 11,000 crore.
The Centre has rescheduled to complete the project by 2018.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
