SHIMLA: Himachal Kisan Sabha today joined the farmers who have been protesting the damage being done to their houses, crops, cattle and sheep and goats by the unregulated construction work of the 210 MW Luhri power project. The project is being executed by the SJVN on the Satluj river in border villages of Shimla and Kullu districts.
President of Himachal Kisan Sabha Dr. Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, District President Satyawan Pundir, farmers from Kasumpti on Friday sat in dharna in support of the local panchayats that fall in Lurhri power project site.
The farmers in the project-affected area have been sitting on dharna against the damage caused to their houses, cattle especially goats and agricultural land due to the construction work of the 210 MW Luhri Hydroelectric Project.
They demand that the government should give compensation to the project affected people for the loss to crops, livestock, agricultural land caused by the construction works. The locals are not getting 80 per cent jobs to Himachalis as promised by the government, the farmers charged.
The secretary Kisan sabha Jaishiv Thakur and the state treasurer of the youth assembly, Kapil Sharma joined the 48-hour dharna in support of the protesting farmers.
But the SJVN management remains indifferent to the demands of the farmers, the farmers rued.
Farmers Have Little Land But Govt Acquiring Land Without Paying Adequate Compensation
State President of Kisan Sabha, Dr. Kuldip Singh Tanwar said the issue of land is most important in Himachal Pradesh. Agricultural land is already scarce in the state. But that land too is getting affected by various projects due to wrong policies of the governments, he charged.
Dr. Tanwar said land is being handed over to four lanes, airports, hydroelectric projects, cement factories in different parts of the state.
But the farmers are neither being given adequate compensation for the land nor the oustees and project-affected farmers are being rehabilitated as per provision of the Rehabilitation law.
Dr. Tanwar warned that the farmers would launch a movement in Himachal Pradesh on the issues of farmers and their uprooting from the agricultural land against the government and project authorities.
Companies Defying Environmental Law
Not only this, companies are openly defying the environmental rules while constructing the projects, Dr Tanwar said.
If the government and administration do not keep a strict watch on these violations, then air pollution would make atmosphere polluted and unhealthy for people of the state mainly in and round the project areas, he cautioned.