Works resume at Upper Tamakoshi

DOLAKHA, MAR 31

Construction works at the 456MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project resumed on Monday after the project reached an agreement with workers’ unions over the issue of share allocations.

Although the project had settled the issue with ruling CPN (UML)-affiliated workers five days ago, the workers affiliated to the Nepali Congress (NC), UCPN (Maoist) and other Maoist parties led by Mohan Baidya and Netra Bikram Chand continued to obstruct the project’s work for ignoring them in the negotiation process.

Roshan Khadka, a trade union leader affiliated to the NC said after the project agreed to incorporate other five agitating trade unions in the negotiation process, they agreed to return to work. “We were forced to agitate after the ‘one-sided agreement’.”

The project and the UML-affiliated union had agreed to form a taskforce and submit a report within 30 days to decide on the workers’ demands. The workers have been demanding 500 shares each.

After the people from the project-affected area—Lamabagar—pressured the workers to stop the obstruction on Sunday, the workers showed some flexibility. The locals had warned of searching alternatives if the workers did not resume the work at the earliest.

Not so long ago the domestically-financed Upper Tamakoshi was touted as a model project and the works were undergoing smoothly and is also the largest project being undertaken by locals financing and engineers. More than 70 percent of the construction has been completed. However, things turned topsy-turvy all of a sudden over the share allocation issue.

The project has incurred huge losses due to the strikes. The dispute over share allocation has pushed back the dates for share allocation for the locals and the general public.

Source: The Kathmandu Post