SC/ST panel vice president visits affected villages

Tribune News Service

New Tehri, April 27

The vice president of the National Scheduled Castes and Tribes Commission Ravi Thakur paid a visit to the villages affected due to Tehri Dam construction in Tehri district.

The vice president took stock of the affected villagers near Koteshwar Dam, also a part of Tehri hydro project. He assessed the damage and heard the problems of the villagers here. He reviewed the progress of various schemes being run in the villages for the benefit of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the district at a meeting held with the district administration officials at the THDC guesthouse.

The vice-president took serious note of the report kept by District Magistrate Tehri Yugal Kishore Pant highlighting problems in 450 villages around Tehri Dam Lake.

He sought the full report in the matter from the Tehri District Magistrate and assured that the matter would be taken up at the Central Government level. Thakur said he would be seeking the report on how the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) was spending Rs 12 crore being received under CSR in the area.

Thakur also directed the Forest and Tourism Department to promote the eco-tourism projects jointly in the region. He sought the report on the projects related to drinking water and construction of toilets for the girl students in the schools inhabited by the people from Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the district.

Several district administration officials were present on the occasion.