Villagers seek jobs in Parbati hydropower project at Kullu

Our Correspondent

Kullu, February 12

Residents of Largi village in the Sainj valley have been on a chain hunger strike for the past few days, demanding employment in the Parbati project of the NHPC in Sainj. Former minister Satya Prakash Thakur had met villagers and assured them all support. Former Kullu MLA Maheshwar Singh also assured the villagers that their demand was valid and he would raise the issue with the Chief Minister.

Maheshwar also held a meeting with the General Manager of the Parbati project at the administrative building in Bihali. Maheshwar raised the issue of the villagers and issued appropriate guidelines in the matter of employment of affected persons to the officers of the NHPC. However, the NHPC management continued to ignore the employment issue.

Maheshwar assured the people that he would raise their demands firmly in the proposed meeting on February 24.

Largi panchayat president Kanta Devi said the NHPC’s power house, administrative building, switchyard, sub-station, shaft, old office and other buildings had been set up in Larji. She said about 150 persons had been employed in these but only 13 persons of the local panchayat had been given employment. She alleged that the NHPC was misleading the administration and the government saying it did not have any vacancies, while outsiders were being recruited through the back door. She said the agitation would be intensified if their demands are not met in time.