Hsa Comments On Tipaimukh Dam, 2003

Dated : Imphal ,17th March, 2003 To, The Chairman & Managing Director North Easter Power Electrict Corporation Limited Brookland Compound, Lower New Colony P.B. No. 79, Shillong, Meghalaya (Through the Power Commissioner, Government of Manipur, Imphal) Sir, In response to the Notification under Section 29(2) of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 as amended, issued by Secretariat, Power Department, Government of Manipur, on 18th January, 2003 and published in the Manipur Gazette (extraordinary), No. 315 on Monday, January 20, 2003 inviting comment on proposed Tipaimukh Hydro Electric (Multipurpose) Project, the Hmar Students’ Association would like to give the following comment anticipating adequate response from your side. Going through the MoU : - It had leads us to believe that this MoU is drafted by the NEEPCO alone without consulting the Govt. of Manipur as it is bias on many important points favoring the corporate than the government of Manipur and the people which leads us to believed that there is still a lack of consultation even at the highest level. - Is it now cleared to us that the Project is solely a power generating project and not a developmental project; as it had been claimed all this years. - It shock us to find that such an important document do not have any vision. It fails to address anything beyond the completion of the construction, though the project may affect people’s lives for over a 100 years and many eventualities may come. - It showed the lack of confidence the NEEPCO had on the Govt. of Manipur and the people. The correct estimate of the project, the real source of the finance, the interest rate and the sharing of benefit are not clear. - Land as a commodity to be acquired from its owners is highly questionable. The tribal collective community holding should be sincerely looked at, especially in the ethnically volatile district of Churachandpur.

Comment on the terms and conditions set out in the MoU: Point No. 1 - “The State Government would nominate one Director on the Board of NEEPCO…”. Specification of deals must be stated clearly, such as, whether this person is to be from the immediate effected people, or from one of the state’s government official or an entirely new recruit by the state through government proper channel. Being the largest and biggest project nothing should be mention vaguely. Pont No. 2 - “12% of power from energy generated from the project would be supplied free of cost to the States in the Region …”. The Govt. and the people concern are being cheated. Many corporate in India has since 1997 been paying the Govt. and the people 20% for exploiting the land that are under the V schedule. Point No. 3 - “The unutilized power from the project shall be transmitted out of the N.E Region …” makes the people very suspicious, as power surplus state like Meghalaya is yet to electrified its villages for decades, so that it had power to sell outside the state. It can happen also in Manipur where the government’s financial situation is weak. The dam affected people of Churachandpur district thought that the project would enable them to get electricity. A responsible government must inform the people that arrangement of electricity is the responsibility of the state’s government only. Point No. 4 - “ …all other works will be kept open for the local contractors…”. The other works must be reserved for the local contractors and the Major and Special type of works must also be open subject to their fulfilling the eligibility criteria for execution as per norms of the Corporation and on competitive bidding. Point No. 5 - “Grade ‘C’ and Grade ‘D’ staffs for the project shall be made at the minimum of 50% for Grade ‘C’ and 60% for Grade ‘D’ through the state’s Employment Exchanges”. What about the remaining percent? Special concession is accorded to those who are actually affected or displaced by the project. Then, what about those who are not physically displaced but whose agricultural land are submerged and are economically, socially and mentally affected ? Point No. 7 - “Land required for the Construction, Operation and Maintenance of the project and for the associated works as will be assessed by the NEEPCO shall be acquired by the State Government and transferred in the name of NEEPCO”. The issue of transferring large chunks of land in the name of NEEPCO should be seriously consider again by the Government and the people. Nowhere in the world are land being transfer to corporate today, they are either lease or rent for specific time and for purpose on definite conditions. If you sell your land once, either under duress or consent due to political or economic reason, getting it back is always a problem. You may not feel it now but the next generation will, as land will become more and more scare. The issues of land being return to the people in case of non-completion, decommission, or after the life span of the dam must be the top

priority of the Government. It should also ensure that the land is only for a specific project. The Land Acquisition Act, 1894 also did not have provisions for land for land but only money for land. Would the displaced people then be rehabilitate satisfactorily? Moreover, payments to the landowners were to be made directly or ‘through their authorized legal representatives’. What is the need to involve legal representatives? Point No. 8 - “The Rehabilitation and Resettlement Plan for the project will be prepared by NEEPCO…” Though NEEPCO claims to be open and transparent body, it doles out information in dribbles. The Rehabilitation and Resettlement plan must be made public in full, even at least to the effected people before the overhauling of the Memorandum of Understanding. Point No. 12 - “Engagement of Security Forces for the project…”. The heavy militarization in the project site will not augur peace and development, instead, it will definitely have a seriously impact on their culture and custom and also leads to massive human rights violation. On behalf of the Hmar Students’ Association, (Joseph R. Hmar) President Imphal Joint Headquarters

(John H. Pulamte) Gen. Vice-President

General Headquarters

(2007 Hmar Resources Online Collection)