The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project Victims' Sangharsh Committee met journalists at the Reports Club on Monday Pic:Bishal/SATV
Peoples protest at Shankarapur MunicipalityWard No.3 has now reached to 10th day. They have been silently protesting forthe alteration of substation from their land, as it is going to supplant theircommunities.
Ranjit Tamang, coordinator of the UpperTamakoshi Hydropower Project Victims Struggle Committee, said that the statesuppressed the peaceful movement of the people of Bazheni to get back theirland lost due to state colonialism.He said that during the peaceful protest,the police are holding the women by the hair and beating the children. In thename of development, they are trying to displace the tribals by installingsubstations, so we protested. He said, "Police repression must bestopped."
Ranjit Tamang, coordinator of the UpperTamakoshi Hydropower Project Victims Struggle Committee Pic:Bishal/SATV
Tularam Tamang, coordinator of Dunghyul TamangLopten Chogchhen, said that the state tried to forcefully suppress the projectwithout any coordination with the local residents. He said that by violatingthe minimum human rights of the people and the property rights of the people,the state forced the police.He said that when two large transmission lines anda substation connecting them will be built at the same place, their settlementswill be at risk and they will be displaced. He said that the local people werethreatened and forced to take compensation.This land belongs to NepalElectricity Authority, if you do not take compensation for this land, you willnot get the land, nor will you get compensation. He said, "In this way,the people here were forced to take compensation. Even when this compensation wasbeing distributed, the protests had already started.
Tularam Tamang, coordinator of Dunghyul TamangLopten Chogchhen Pic:Bishal/SATV
Out of 170 ropani land in the project site,the owner of 45 ropani land does not have Lalpurja. In 2037, it was decided togive more land to farmers than the land limit that Anand Shamsher Jabara had.Accordingto which the farmers got the land, Ward President Surya Batahdur Tamang of WardNo. 3 of Shankharapur Nagarapali said. Similarly, he said, the farmers there got Lalpurja in 2044 as well. After that, from 2055 to 2073, local peoplebrought Lalpurja. He said that only after the construction of the substationand transmission line, the remaining 45 ropani land was stopped from being distributed. Nepal Electricityt Authority has accused Mr.Tamang for dealing other land instead Bojini. Ward president has either asked NEA to present the evidence not than the CEO of NEA Kulman Ghising to say sorry for the wrong proclaimation.
Ward President Surya Batahdur Tamang Pic:Bishal/SATV
The NepalElectricity Authority has said that the substation proposed to be built a tBojini located in Shankharapur Municipality-3 of Kathmandu cannot be movedelsewhere.
While themovement of local residents to stop the substation continues, the authority hasinformed through a statement that the substation and transmission line cannotbe moved. The authority has claimed that the construction of the substation hasbeen advanced by addressing the legitimate demands of the local affectedpeople.
A substation will be constructed atShankharapur Municipality Ward No. 3, Bozeni, Kathmandu for the power transmissionline under MCC. The Nepal Electricity Authority had already started theconstruction work for the construction of a substation in Bajheni to distributethe electricity generated from the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi project to KathmanduValley and other areas.
Ever since the Electricity Authority startedits work, the residents of Bozeni have been protesting that the project isgoing to be constructed in such a way that they will be displaced. After theMCC agreement was approved by the parliament, two substations (under NepalElectricity Authority and MCC) are going to be built in Bozeni. However, thetribal Newar, Tamang and other communities there have been protesting sayingthat they should leave their homes.
