NHPC convenes coordination meeting with Left Bank Committee in preparation for Stage IV public hearing

MANGAN, 22 March: NHPC today convened a coordination meeting with the “Left Bank Committee” members of the 520 MW Teesta Stage-IV hydel project being taken up by it, the public hearing for which is scheduled for 29 March. Affected people from most parts, it may be recalled, have resolved to attend the public hearing this time after having boycott it en masse in July last year.
The Left Bank Committee represents landowners and Panchayats of Ringhim, Nampatam, Chandey, Mangan and Kazor in North Sikkim. The coordination meeting was held at the Zilla Bhawan, Mangan, and was attended by the NHPC Stage-IV Chief Engineer, AK Chaudhury, Manager [electrical], Lhendup Lepcha and other officials.
The CE, in his address, presented a detailed report of the developmental schemes proposed by the organisation as part of the Relief & Rehabilitation plan for the project. Towards infrastructure development, Rs. 75 lakh has been marked for construction of footpaths, Rs. 50 lakh for bus stops and rain shelters, Rs. One Crore for water supply provisions, Rs. 1.25 crore for infrastructure upgradation, Rs. 50 lakh towards community welfare centres, Rs. 30 lakh for protection of cultural heritage and Rs. 2 crore for improvement of Namprikdang mela ground.
Similarly, NHPC proposes to invest Rs. 47 lakh in capacity building programmes for the project affected areas, Rs. 50 lakh for formation of SHGs, and Rs. 10 lakh for awareness camps and LPG distribution.
As per the NHPC, it also proposes to invest the following funds for community and social development projects: Infrastructure development Rs. 630 lakh; model village Rs. 154 lakh; economic development Rs. 107 lakh and construction of an ITI in the area Rs. 500 lakh.
The Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plan for Stage IV is budgeted for Rs. 2,157.52 lakh and the environmental management plan will be implemented at an outlay of Rs. 8,265.92 lakh, it was further informed.
The Rs. 3,594.74 crore Teesta Stage IV HEP is projected for completion in 74 months from the date of CCEA approval.
Landowners at the meeting demanded a revised compensation rate, pointing out that the rate notified for the project in June 2009 at Rs. 18 per sq. ft was too low. They also sought that a development plan for Mangan should also be included in NHPC’s commitments to the area. The CE assured that a revised rate will be declared at the Public Hearing.