Political leaders support protest against Bhote Koshi hydro project

SINDHUPALCHWOK, Oct 29 :

Local leaders of major political parties have expressed solidarity with the ongoing protest of local people against Bhote Koshi Power Company.

Locals of the area have been obstructing works to erect transmission towers to link power generated by Upper Bhote Koshi Hydropower Project to the national grid for the past few weeks, putting forth various demands. Though the project started operation 13 years ago, locals are now demanding that they be given 35 percent of the company´s shares.

Floods in Jure had washed away four transmission towers of the project on August 2.

Speaking at a program organized by the local struggle committee on Tuesday, leaders of CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and CPN-Maoist said they would support the protest launched by the local people.

Arun Nepal, politburo member of CPN-UML Arun Nepal, said the protest is justifiable. "Local people had no idea of the project when it was developed. They have every right to demand 35 percent shares of the company," he added.

The project started construction works in 1997 and began power generation in 2001.

Saral Sahayatri Paudel, a leader of UCPN (Maoist), also expressed his party´s solidarity with the ongoing protest. "We should intensify the protest to press the project for fulfilling our demands," he added.

Likewise, CPN-Maoist leader Dawa Tamang said locals should have the ownership of the project. He also argued that such protest will not hamper investment environment of the country.

Besides allocation of shares, the struggle committee has demanded compensation of Rs 5 million a year to local people and Rs 300,000 each to VDCs thorough which the project´s transmission line passes.

According to project officials, the project has already lost Rs 1.75 billion since the floods. Narendra Prajapati, general manager of the company, said they had originally targeted to connect power generated by the project to the national grid by October 26. "But we have managed to erect only two towers so far," he added.

Source: Republica