Orissa government bows to pressure, to hold public hearing on Sindol hydro-power project

BHUBANESWAR: Bowing to public pressure, the Orissa government has decided to conduct public hearings before launching the Rs 2,600 crore Sindol hydro power project, which has been facing stiff protest from the affected people and political parties including the ruling Biju Janata Dal. The public hearing will be held at three sites where barrages are proposed to be built.

The three sites of the project- Sindol-I (100 MW), Sindol-II (100 MW) and Sindol-III (120 MW) - are located in Sambalpur, Boudh and Sonepur districts. The Orissa Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) had on July 21 signed a MoU with NHPC Ltd for this project.

"We will take views of the local people before going ahead with the project," state energy minister Atanu S Nayak told reporters here adding that the state government will ensure that the locals get the optimum benefit out of the project”.

The state government had been claiming that no one would be displaced or no agricultural land be submerged due to Sindol project. However, the locals do not trust the government and have come out openly against the project.

On Wednesday, the people in Sonepur observed a 12-hour bandh at the district headquarters opposing Sindol project.

The ruling BJD MLAs from the three districts have also expressed their concern over the state government's action of signing MoU for Sindol project without reading public mind. Health minister Prasanna Acharya, food and supplies minister Niranjan Pujari and former minister and sitting Birmaharajpur MLA Padmanav Behera, have meanwhile expressed their displeasure over the state government's action of going ahead with the controversial Sindol project without consulting the people's representatives.