Villagers protest setting up of hydel project in Kinnuar

Shimla, Dec 14 (UNI) The agitation against the setting up of the 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtoo hydel project in Kinnuar district of Himachal Pradesh gathered momentum today with villagers holding a rally in the district.

The villagers also blocked the National Highway No 1 at Tapri in the district for half an hour, protesting police firing on the villagers and demanding free medical treatment to the injured besides scraping the MoU with the JP Industries for the project.

The protesters alleged that the police fired water cannons on the agitating villagers to disperse them during their protest, which had been organised five days after police firing on the villagers at Wangtoo.

Alleging that police was resorting to arm-twisting, they said police had detained several people to prevent them from traveling to the agitation site.

Protesters supporting the agitation, coming from Shimla, were asked get down from the bus and made to sit in Shimla-bound buses, while those coming from Kinnuar side were put on buses going towards Rekong Peo, they alleged.

Addressing people on the occasion, State CITU leader Vijender Mehra called upon the people to remain united in their fight against the JP Industries, which had not provided adequate compensation to the villagers while executing Baspa II hydel project in the district.

He alleged that CITU leader Rakesh Singha, who was also on his way to Tapri, was prevented from making it to the protest venue.

UNI AS HS VD ND1932