Assam assembly asks govt to finish stalled Subansiri project

Assam assembly today unanimously asked the government to complete the stalled 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower hydro power project soon by taking people and agitating groups of the state into confidence.
"The project should be completed soon for the development of Assam. So talk to the people of Assam and the groups (protesting against it) and take them into confidence," Assam Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami said.
The entire house favoured completion of the NHPC project soon after the issue was raised by BJP MLA Debananda Hazarika.
"It is good that all members are unanimous. This is an important issue and has public interest involved in it. The matter should be solved immediately. Without power industrialisation is not possible. I hope the government will take the matter forward from here," Goswami said.

Earlier, Minister of State for Power Pallab Lochan Das said the state government is interested in speaking to all groups opposed to the project to move ahead with consensus. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who holds the power portfolio, will take the initiative in this regard.
"Almost 56 per cent work in the NHPC's Subansiri project is complete. The expert committee formed after the protests against it suggested many recommendations, including redesigning of the dam. NHPC has accepted all the recommendations," he added.

Das said industries want to come to Assam but are asking for dedicated power lines, which is difficult at this stage as the state is power deficient.

The Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project is the biggest hydro-electric project undertaken in India so far and is a run-of-river scheme on Subansiri.
Construction work of the ambitious project at Gerukamukh on Subansiri river along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border has been stalled since December 2011 after protests by locals and groups fearing safety and downstream impact.
Although many organisations are opposing it, the protests were primarily led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti. A number of protests and rallies were also held by All Assam Students Union and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad.
The Centre had allocated Rs 11,000 crore on December 2010 for construction of the dam.

Initially, the project cost was estimated to be around Rs 6,285 crore and was scheduled to be commissioned in December 2012.