Govt officials favouring Reliance company: NGO

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 29

The Parbati Koldam Transmission Line Displaced and Affected Farmers Action Committee and NGO Save Mount have accused certain government departments of committing irregularities to favour Reliance Infrastructure’s joint venture company Parbati Koldam Transmission Corporation Limited.

They have demanded a high-level inquiry into the role of the officials concerned.

At a press conference, associations’ legal advisers Rajnish Sharma, Ajay Nadda, Ajay Saihgal, presidents Pawan Thakur and Hari Singh Thakur alleged that the work on the high-power transmission line from Kullu to Ludhiana was completed in 2014, but the affected farmers had been left in the lurch as the officials showed inclination towards the company rather than safeguarding the interests of the farmers.

The detailed project report and cost of the multi-crore project had not been revealed to the farmers, enumeration of trees, including the forests, fruit trees and herbal plants, was not done and provisions of Forest Conservation Act were flouted, they alleged, questioning the role of the Revenue, Forest and Horticulture Departments.

The rates for compensation were not revealed to the farmers. Some were not even given a penny. The association and the NGO members said the police had refused to lodge an FIR and they had to move the court.

There was no record of the number of trees felled by the company, permission sought for axing trees and the amount of the compensation. “Both the government and the company are hiding facts and not providing documents,” Rajnish Sharma said.

He also raised question over the renovation of the office of the Superintendent of Police saying the official had not provided the details of the expenditure incurred.

The executing agency and the contractor and alleged that the renovation had allegedly been done by the company. “The matter needs to be looked into to punish the erring officials,” he added.