Arunachal offers to ink MoU with NHPC with riders

Itanagar, May 5 (UNI) The dilly-dally over signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the Arunachal government with power giant National Hydro Electric Power Corporation(NHPC) on the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri hydro power project is expected to come to an end.

Government spokesman Tako Dabi told newspersons here today that MoU would be signed subject to NHPC offering 12 per cent free power as royalty, full relief packages, including rehabilitation and settlement of affected indigenous people, adequate job opportunities to local populace, taking up pending case in the Supreme Court and dealing with the observations made by the standing committee on National Wildlife Board on the above project.

While NHPC had started execution of the project but without signing MoU, the work on 1,600 MW middle project at Tamen in Upper Subansiri district could not be started because of judiciary interference, he said.

He added that once the CPSU consented it would open a flood-gate for many a projects.

On the Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) signed with private Power developers Reliance Energy, D S Construction and J P Associates to execute projects involving 4,800 MW, he said, ''Notices have been served to them to initiate works immediately. The government cannot remain silent observer to inordinate delay in execution of such projects as that would cause massive loss to the exchequer.'' For integrating people of same ethnic groups for their speedy socio-economic and political development in a democratic spirit the government has merged Lada circle and Bana area under of East Kameng district with Nafra administrative unit of West Kameng district.

''The political decision was taken by the Dorjee Khandu government considering similarities in the demography, ethnicity, language and culture of both the areas to meet the long pending demand of the people,'' Mr Dabi added.

The Rajiv Gandhi Polytechnic set up with World Bank funding would be taken over by the state government in June after expiry of the funding provision. Mr Dabi informed that the annual expenditure would be Rs three crore.

UNI