Govt rolls up sleeves for Tipaimukh
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 14:
Despite strong opposition from the anti-dam lobby, all necessary steps have been taken up to lay the foundation stones of the controversial Tipaimukh multi-purpose project and Loktak Downstream project on December 16.The foundation stones will be laid by the Union Power Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde, Union Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, Union Minister of State, PMO, Prithiviraj Chauhan and Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Oscar Fernandes.
The State Government has already declared the four Union Ministers as State guests.
To enable the dignitaries to lay the foundation stone of the Tipaimukh project at its site, Government officials have already approached the area from the side of Mizoram and two helipads have been constructed to fly in the four Union Ministers, said a source from NEEPCO.
The foundation stone for Loktak Downstream project will be laid at Thangal village.
After the foundation stones of the two projects are laid, a public meeting will be convened at Parbung in Churachandpur district.
Controversy has been dogging the proposal of the Government to construct the Tipaimukh dam.
The anti-dam lobby has already called a 24 hour general strike from 6 pm of December 15 to 6 pm of December 16 and boycotted the visit of the Union Ministers.
This is not the first time that the anti-dam lobby has called a bandh against the multi-purpose project.
The anti-dam lobby had also imposed a State wide bandh on December 2 during the visit of the Prime Minister.