Mandi villagers force firm to stop work on power project

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Mandi, March 9

Opposed to setting up of a hydel project in Murhag panchayat under the Seraj Assembly segment, the home constituency of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, in Mandi district, villagers today got the construction work of power project stopped. The agitated villagers reached the site where the officials of power company had come for starting the work.

The villagers were apprehensive that the power project will lead to shortage of water supply for the irrigation purpose.

Bhag Singh, Kushal Singh, Inder Kumar, Krishna, Nurta Devi and few other villagers said that “the majority of villagers do not want this hydel power project in Murhag panchayat. It would dry up the source of water supply, which villagers use for irrigation purpose. It would directly affect the ecology of area, which would have drastic impact production of agriculture and horticulture crops in that area.”

Congress leader from Seraj Vijay Pal Singh said that despite this being a panchayat falling under CM’s home constituency, he could not resolve this issue between villagers and the power project company officials amicably.”

“The Chief Minister should look into the matter and direct the district administration to stop construction work at the site until final verdict of the court in this matter is out,” he said.

DC Arindam Chaudhari said the construction work had been stalled to avert any conflict between villagers and company officials today. The police and officials of local administration were present on the spot.