Police resorts to lathi charge against KMSS supporters

GUWAHATI: Police resorted to baton charge to quell the agitators who have blockade the highway in Guwahati on Thursday. Agitators are protesting against forced admission of Team Anna member and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) general secretary, Akhil Gogoi to hospital.

Akhil is on hunger strike demanding halting of construction of mega dams in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. His hunger strike has entered sixth day on Thursday.

Sources said that police forcefully removed Akhil from the ground and was admitted to Guwahati Medical College and hospital (GMCH). A team of doctors conducted a health check-up on Akhil and stated that his sugar level and blood pressure has dropped.

Despite request from several quarters Akhil remained defiant and has declined to break his hunger strike. Peasant organization KMSS is opposing construction of 2000 MW Subansiri Lower hydro power project along Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Lower Subansiri is implemented by NHPC. NHPC has claimed that around 55 percent of the work of the project is completed. The initial cost of the project was Rs 6300 Crore, which has escalated to Rs 11,000 Crore. However owing to stiff protest construction activity is stopped since December last year at the project site.