Labour front backs NHPC Stage V workers

GANGTOK, August 28: The labour frontal organization of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party has backed the NHPC Teesta Stage V workers who have threatened to launch an indefinite strike at the hydro-electric power plant at Balutar from August 31 if their pending demands are not met by the management.
In a meeting held today at SDF party headquarters here at Indira Bypass, the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front (ASDLF) said that the demands raised by the labourers of NHPC Teesta Stage V plant are fully justified. The labour front also demanded the NHPC management to resolve the labour issue without any further delay.

“We will like to draw the attention of the NHPC Teesta Stage V management not to play with the rights of the labourers and not to allow the peace and discipline of Sikkim to be vitiated. If the demands are not met in due time, the labour front will also join the peaceful strike to be started by the workers at the plant”, warned the ASDLF in a press statement.
On Thursday, the fifty three workers recruited by the NHPC Teesta Stage V project as part of its rehabilitation and resettlement package for the project displaced families had threatened to launch an indefinite strike at power plant from August 31. They have been demanding ‘re-designation of existing grade as per educational qualifications’ as all of them have employed in the lowest grade of W-0 as helpers.
The NHPC management has been given a deadline of August 30 to fulfill their demands, failing which, the workers have threatened to launch an indefinite strike from the next day stopping all production work in the power plant.
Backing the agitating workers, the ASDLF said that the steps taken by them are in the interests of Sikkim and Sikkimese labourers. “We also appeal all the NGOs to support the strike call of the NHPC workers,” the labour front said.

Source: VOC

Teesta protesters in hospital

Gangtok, March 19: Members of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), who are on saline drips, said the protest against hydel power projects would continue even from hospital beds.

The organisation is spearheading an agitation against the Sikkim government’s move to construct hydroelectric plants in North Sikkim’s Dzongu, a Lepcha reserve.

ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha and members Tenzing Gyatso and Gaeboo Lepcha were admitted to Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital here four days ago and are being administered saline drips.

The fast entered the 10th day today.

“It is one last battle we are fighting and we are prepared for whatever happens. It’s a do-or-die situation,” Dawa, who developed complications in his kidney function, told The Telegraph from his bed.

Tenzing, whose frail body suffered cramps and dizziness, also appeared determined. “I will continue with the fast whatever may come, even at the risk of losing my life,” he said.

Dawa and Tenzing had earlier resorted to an indefinite fast for 63 days for the same cause. They had given it up following a public appeal from Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling.

The two ACT members had started the second phase of protest on March 10 along with Ongchuk Lepcha when “no concrete” assurance had come from the Chamling government on their demand to scrap the hydel projects. The ACT had rejected a review commission appointed by the state.

Ongchuk, who had earlier been admitted to the hospital, is back at BL House, the venue of the fast, where he has been joined by Tashi Namgyal Lepcha. A doctor from the STNM hospital and officials from the East district administration have been visiting the protesters regularly.

According to Dawa, Dzongu residents and members of the Lepcha community keep joining the protest almost everyday under a “BL House Bharo (Fill BL House)” campaign.

The ACT has also planned to take out a rally in Gangtok soon to drum up support.

Sikkim Govt. promises review of hydel projects

Gangtok , Sikkim : The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front SDF while claiming that the innocent Lepchas were being misled by the Opposition parties for political gains has assured members of the Affected Citizens of Teesta of constituting a committee to review the upcoming hydroelectric power projects in question and address their genuine concerns.

The SDF has also been issuing statements in defence of the projects claiming that they would neither harm the environment nor the Lepcha culture through influx of labourers from outside the state as feared by the strikers. The strikers, however, are far from convinced. Though welcoming the state government's decision to set up a review committee, they insist on a notification in this regard and that majority of the committee members should be locals. The committee should be headed by a person without any political affiliations who could be expected to carry out the task in a neutral manner, they say.

With the state government yet to notify the constitution of a review committee for the proposed hydel power projects at Dzongu, one does not have a clue as to how long the hunger strike would continue.

It may be recalled that the Congress activists demonstrated outside its office here last Saturday, burning effigy of the Governor, Mr V Rama Rao for the latter's apparent inaction in resolving the issue. The public demonstration against the constitutional office of the governor evoked sharp reaction from the administration, resulting in the arrest of four Congress workers.

State Congress president and former chief minister Mr Nar Bahadur Bhandari later described their arrest as illegal. Pointing out that peaceful demonstrations and effigy burning were accepted modes of democratic protest, he demanded immediate release of his party colleagues. As it did not happen, 21 Congress workers led by their vice president Mr T Gyatso courted arrest here.

The CPI-M which has long been trying to gain a foothold in the state organised a seminar here to mark the party's 30 years in office in the neighbouring West Bengal. West Bengal urban development minister Mr Asok Bhattacharya accused the state government of shying away from the issue instead of finding a solution.

Source: The Statesman

Mishap at Teesta Low Dam Project

Kalijhora : One person died and three others were seriously injured when an NHPC dumper crashed into a security checkpoint at the entrance of the Teesta Low Dam Project (Stage IV) and fell about 30 feet to end up on the Kali riverbed here this afternoon.

The dead has been identified as Bikash Gurung, an employee of Gorkha Security Service, a private security agency engaged by the power major at the project site. The spot is located on the confluence of the Teesta river and the Kali rivulet, about 40km from Kalimpong and 25km from Siliguri.

Another security guard, Bikash Tamang, and the driver and helper of the dumper, whose identities are yet to be established, are among the injured. All three have been admitted to a hospital in Siliguri.

Eyewitnesses said the dumper was entering the project site when the driver lost control of the heavy-duty vehicle and crashed into the checkpoint, before nose-diving 30 feet to land on the Kali. Both Gurung and Tamang were inside the checkpost and had no chance of getting out as the dumper took the tinned structure down with it.

“Till Thursday I was the one doing duty at the checkpoint. I can only thank my stars that I was posted in another area today, or I could have been the victim,” said Jiten Thapa, Gurung’s colleague.

Forty minutes after the incident, which occurred around 4.20pm, Thapa still seemed to be in a state of shock.

“Bikash (Gurung) was from Mungpoo, and was very good to me,” he mumbled.

The NHPC has engaged a number of dumpers like the one that was involved in the accident today at its project site. “The dumpers carry mud from the site to the dumping yard (across the Kali bridge),” said Sanjay Ghosh, personnel manager of Teesta Low Dam Project (Stage IV).

Source: The Telegraph