Shillong, March 02: The CSWO strongly objects to the Mawphu H E Project that will displace many people and their forest land and plantations. Mr Sohtun was called by the police to the police station and being served a summon under sec 91 since he has been very vocal in objecting to the Neepco surveying illegally the lands in Thieddieng, without getting the consent of the village people.
The total area required for Mawphu H E Project-Stage II is 110 Ha. At the Mawphu side the area required is 3.10 Ha, and in the other side of the river which is the Village Thieddieng the area required is 93.90 Ha. Ignoring the people, the Neepco under D S Rai, has imposed themselves by slyly taking NOC for only the Mawphu area to be surveyed and has now for the past 2 years been surveying and drilling in the Thieddieng Village, and brought in influx of labour from Gurgaon to loot from the area.
They have been carrying away tonnes and tonnes of stones which no one knows what it is, and the people were told by the laborers that this is taken away as the sale is good and the stone is costly.
This is a case for the new KHADC to strongly object and the people of the area who live on the products of the forest and the land are being terrorized with the help of the police who compelled them to have a Dorbar and come with the answer “Yes ” to the Neepco Project.
The Police even told the people that they will be getting roads and fields and developments. We are shocked that Government has neglected many of the rural areas with the sole intention of bringing in such projects that do not even take consent of the village people, and promising roads which should be the priority of the Governments.
If such projects are now the only reasons that rural areas will get roads and developments then people better wake up to the fact that Tribal land is being gradually alienated and exploited by few dubious corporates in the name of development, and Government is failing to protect the people.
People have elected a Government that will protect the people and their lands and not to help exploiters. Policies should be framed to protect and not open up doors to crafty businessmen and contractors who are funding these political parties.
The CSWO hopes that now the regional parties have come to the KHADC and being the Competent authority they should protect the land rights of the Indigenous people of the state of Meghalaya.(SP News)
