Shimla: The HP High Court has directed Shimla district administration to provide adequate security to a power company for executing two small hydro power projects in Rohru area.
In a petition by Tangu Romai Power Generation Pvt Ltd, a division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Sharma asked the district administrative and police officials to for taking appropriate action to maintain law and order.
At the same time the police were cautioned not to interfere with a peaceful protest undertaken by the public in the project area.
The police was also directed to provide any regular police assistance at the expense of the petition company should a request be made thereof.
Notices were also issued to the Gram Panchayats of Tangu Janglikh, Pekha, Deudi-Maila and Mahila Mandal Ambot in the case.
The petitioner company let the court know that they were suffering losses because agitating villagers were threatening to damage heavy machinery if it was moved to the construction site of the project allotted to them by the state government.
The company has been awarded two project of 44 MW and 6 MW which would involve an investment of Rs 300 crore.
Whereas the 6 MW capacity project was scheduled for commissioning in March 2012 and the larger one was scheduled for June 2014.
The company averred that techno-economic clearance from HPSEB and statutory clearances from HP State Pollution Control Board and Central Ministry of Environment & Forests and no objection certificates were obtained by them, but the local residents of Village Janglik and Maila were resisting mobilization of machinery and not allowing the work on project to commence, which is resulting in huge financial losses to the company.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
Nothing can be worse trap for an entrepreneur than this, It is difficult to swallow that local people/government/do-gooders did not know what damage this micro-hydelpower projects are doing to the very ecology itself. First invite them, have them put in all their money and resources, Suddenly, they wake up and tell them this is dam illegal.Can there be a worse example of moral corruption? Just like Andhra or Malwa farmers in Punjab – they are the scapegoats that must end their life. Justice can take its due time. And yes, a yet longer time for the “affected” locals to admit their role in snuffing out the enterprise!