06-14-2006, 06:36 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NBA blocks Maheshwar project
By Yoga Rangatia, in Indraprasth (aka New Delhi)
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Yielding to pressure by the Narmada Bachao Andolan, the Union Environment Ministry has abruptly suspended works on the 400 MW Maheshwar hydel power project on the river Narmada, citing non-submission of rehabilitation plan. In doing so, it has turned a blind eye to the fact that rehabilitation is already progressing alongside construction.
While the Environment Ministry in its suspension order last week said no relief and rehabilitation plan has been submitted, the project developers said the plan was submitted to the ministry four years ago, only the data needed to be upgraded.
The project which was in limbo since 2001was restarted in November 2005. No construction or rehabilitation took place between 2001 and 2005.
"Of the Rs 70 crore spent on the project in the last few months, Rs 2.5 crore has gone towards rehabilitation. Construction and rehabilitation are proceeding alongside, as required by the law. We submitted a rehabilitation plan after a door-to-door survey four years ago. Between 2001 and 2005, the project itself was facing uncertainty. In the intermediary period the number of beneficiaries may have gone up. We are asking help from the State Government to upgrade the data," said ML Gupta, managing director of Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Company Limited, the promoters of the project.
Acting in a high-handed manner, the Environment Ministry denied the public-private partnership company a fair hearing before suspending the work. "Nobody contacted us for our point of view. Only the NBA seems to have received the letter that the ministry wrote. It is unfair and unfortunate that the Environment Ministry did not hear us or issue a warning. This way no development can take place," Gupta said.
The Rs 2,400 crore project was accorded environmental clearance in 1994. As per the conditions of the clearance, rehabilitation of those displaced by the Maheshwar dam was to be completed by 1998. Responding to NBA allegation that there was no rehabilitation plan on the ground, the Environment Ministry toured the area in 2000. The task force concluded that land or plan for rehabilitation had been found wanting.
The same year, German multinational company Siemens withdrew its application for a Hermes export guarantee for the Maheshwar Project from the German government. Simultaneously, the private HypoVereinsbank of Germany stated that it will now no longer be in a position to honour its commitment to give a Rs 530 crore loan to the project.
The project was in suspended animation when the monitoring committee visited the area in 2002. Obviously, no rehabilitation was taking place when the project was uncertain. In November 2005, the project was given a fresh lease of life with the involvement of S Kumars and public sector Power Finance Corporation.
Questions are being raised whether the ministry may have over-stepped its limits by venturing out of the ambit of clearance related to environment. An eager Environment Ministry has taken upon itself to look into resettlement matter as well, which is strictly under the purview of the State Government. In the case of the Narmada Control Authority, overseeing the Sardar Sarovar Project, rehabilitation is dealt with by a sub-group on R&R under secretary, Social Justice to which the State Government submits its reports, while the role of Environment Ministry is limited to ecological issues related to the project.
Responding to the NBA notice in May 2006, the ministry has asked Madhya Pradesh Government to suspend work on the project. "The clearance letter had required the project authorities to submit a complete R&R plan with details of proposed housing units, agricultural lands identified / required / developed and implementation schedule to this ministry by December 2001. This plan is yet to be submitted. The monitoring committee constituted by this ministry also directed project authorities to prepare comprehensive R&R action plan before financial closure and starting construction," the letter said. The Centre has directed the Madhya Pradesh Government to suspend the ongoing work till a comprehensive rehabilitation plan is submitted, and is found "implementable" by the monitoring committee.
Madhya Pradesh has reacted with caution to the suspension notice. "We have not received the directive, yet. Work on the project will commence after completing all legal formalities. The construction work, if necessary, would be stopped forthwith," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan told reporters in Bhopal.
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By Yoga Rangatia, in Indraprasth (aka New Delhi)
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Yielding to pressure by the Narmada Bachao Andolan, the Union Environment Ministry has abruptly suspended works on the 400 MW Maheshwar hydel power project on the river Narmada, citing non-submission of rehabilitation plan. In doing so, it has turned a blind eye to the fact that rehabilitation is already progressing alongside construction.
While the Environment Ministry in its suspension order last week said no relief and rehabilitation plan has been submitted, the project developers said the plan was submitted to the ministry four years ago, only the data needed to be upgraded.
The project which was in limbo since 2001was restarted in November 2005. No construction or rehabilitation took place between 2001 and 2005.
"Of the Rs 70 crore spent on the project in the last few months, Rs 2.5 crore has gone towards rehabilitation. Construction and rehabilitation are proceeding alongside, as required by the law. We submitted a rehabilitation plan after a door-to-door survey four years ago. Between 2001 and 2005, the project itself was facing uncertainty. In the intermediary period the number of beneficiaries may have gone up. We are asking help from the State Government to upgrade the data," said ML Gupta, managing director of Shree Maheshwar Hydel Power Company Limited, the promoters of the project.
Acting in a high-handed manner, the Environment Ministry denied the public-private partnership company a fair hearing before suspending the work. "Nobody contacted us for our point of view. Only the NBA seems to have received the letter that the ministry wrote. It is unfair and unfortunate that the Environment Ministry did not hear us or issue a warning. This way no development can take place," Gupta said.
The Rs 2,400 crore project was accorded environmental clearance in 1994. As per the conditions of the clearance, rehabilitation of those displaced by the Maheshwar dam was to be completed by 1998. Responding to NBA allegation that there was no rehabilitation plan on the ground, the Environment Ministry toured the area in 2000. The task force concluded that land or plan for rehabilitation had been found wanting.
The same year, German multinational company Siemens withdrew its application for a Hermes export guarantee for the Maheshwar Project from the German government. Simultaneously, the private HypoVereinsbank of Germany stated that it will now no longer be in a position to honour its commitment to give a Rs 530 crore loan to the project.
The project was in suspended animation when the monitoring committee visited the area in 2002. Obviously, no rehabilitation was taking place when the project was uncertain. In November 2005, the project was given a fresh lease of life with the involvement of S Kumars and public sector Power Finance Corporation.
Questions are being raised whether the ministry may have over-stepped its limits by venturing out of the ambit of clearance related to environment. An eager Environment Ministry has taken upon itself to look into resettlement matter as well, which is strictly under the purview of the State Government. In the case of the Narmada Control Authority, overseeing the Sardar Sarovar Project, rehabilitation is dealt with by a sub-group on R&R under secretary, Social Justice to which the State Government submits its reports, while the role of Environment Ministry is limited to ecological issues related to the project.
Responding to the NBA notice in May 2006, the ministry has asked Madhya Pradesh Government to suspend work on the project. "The clearance letter had required the project authorities to submit a complete R&R plan with details of proposed housing units, agricultural lands identified / required / developed and implementation schedule to this ministry by December 2001. This plan is yet to be submitted. The monitoring committee constituted by this ministry also directed project authorities to prepare comprehensive R&R action plan before financial closure and starting construction," the letter said. The Centre has directed the Madhya Pradesh Government to suspend the ongoing work till a comprehensive rehabilitation plan is submitted, and is found "implementable" by the monitoring committee.
Madhya Pradesh has reacted with caution to the suspension notice. "We have not received the directive, yet. Work on the project will commence after completing all legal formalities. The construction work, if necessary, would be stopped forthwith," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan told reporters in Bhopal.
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