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Kejriwal for transparency in big dam projects in northeast

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Press Trust of India Guwahati

"We are not against building dams per se for power generation. But the process has to be transparent and any such project should be taken up only with the consent of the local and affected people," he told a meeting of the Krishak Mutki Sangram Samiti.

"Village parishads should be involved in decision making process and the matter should not be kept confined to board rooms only," he said.

He asked the KMSS activists and their leader Akhil Gogoi to unite with other such movements in states like Uttarakhand and create a nation-wide movement.

"People of Assam will become destitutes and pay a heavy price... They will get nothing out of the dams," Kejriwal said.

 

He said many expert groups formed by the Centre have expressed reservations about the dam projects including the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Project in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

"The northeastern region is located in a seismologically active and ecologically fragile area. Any big dams could have serious repercussions in case of earthquake or other such incidents," Kejriwal said.

  

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First Published: May 28 2012 | 5:35 PM IST

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