Kathmandu, August 12: The Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project National Concern Committee has said that the situation has arisen where it may have to launch a protest, accusing the current government of also failing to prioritize the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, committee coordinator Hareram Dhakal accused the Rastriya Swatantra Party of seeking votes by committing in its election manifesto to construct the Budhi Gandaki Project, saying that residents of the inundation area voted for the party in trust but that the government led by the same party has now neglected the project.
The statement said it was unfortunate that the project had not moved forward even when Sudhan Gurung, an elected lawmaker from Gorkha, is serving as Home Minister and Dr. Swarnim Wagle, who considers Gorkha his ancestral home, is serving as Finance Minister.
“We were ready to leave our ancestral homes because this was described as a project that would transform the face of the country. If those who won elections with the votes of people in the inundation area ignore those very people, a day may come when residents of the inundation area will bar lawmakers and ministers from entering the area,” the statement said.
The committee warned that if the project continues to be kept uncertain, it will launch a movement to reclaim land and property. It also said preparations were being made to take the issue from street protests to the courts.
According to the committee, the detailed project report, tender documents and land acquisition work for the Budhi Gandaki Project have already progressed. It expressed suspicion that the current government was seeking to further delay the project by talking about a new construction model, even though the previous government had already finalized the construction modality.
The statement noted that the Finance Minister had publicly said that the project could not be built under the current modality and would have to be implemented through the Nepal Electricity Authority. The committee demanded an explanation as to why the process had not been immediately initiated if the project is to be constructed through the authority.
The committee also accused the government and elected representatives of failing to hold any dialogue with residents of the inundation areas of Gorkha and Dhading. The statement said that representatives who speak about the project on other platforms were unwilling to hold open discussions with the affected residents.
The committee claimed that fertile fields and settlements in the inundation area have been devastated, development and construction activities have come to a standstill, roads cannot be repaired, and patients have to be carried to hospitals on stretchers. It also said that life has become more difficult for many families who received compensation but have been unable to arrange resettlement.
The committee demanded that facilities be provided in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment report and recommendations of the District Compensation Committee. It also called for the construction of a ring road and a well-planned city outside the reservoir area to facilitate resettlement and rehabilitation. The committee warned that the project could not move forward unless these demands were addressed.
Finally, the committee urged the government to immediately engage in dialogue with the people of the inundation area, distribute the remaining compensation, and create an environment to safeguard the businesses of residents in market areas.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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