*PRESS RELEASE* *14 JANUARY 2010***
* *
*Ministry flouts all procedures in giving environmental clearance to Haripur
Nuclear Power plant – resistance will be intensified ***
* *
New Delhi - *The Union Environment ministry has given the clearance for the
proposed nuclear plant at Haripur in East Midnapore, West Bengal. While in
Kolkatta, Union minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh, who had a
meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the Writers’
Building, declared this on Wednesday, 13th January 2010.*
On 11th and 12th Jan 2010 National Fishwoker Forum (NFF) had organized a
Dharna in Jantar Mantar, Delhi demanding to bring to a halt this project,
amongst other demands. Though a delegation of NFF had fixed a meeting with
Mr. Jairam Ramesh to appraise him of the negative impacts of Haripur project
on the people, especially fishworkers, we could not meet him due to his trip
to West Bengal and other schedules.
National Fishworkers’ Forum joins hands with the Haripur Paramanu Vidyut
Prakalpa Prathirodh Andolan (Haripur nuclear power plant resistance
movement) in condemning and challenging this decision of the MoEF, in
granting environmental clearance to the Haripur Nuclear Power Project. This
is not only against the spirit of consulting the affected people, but also
against all norms of environmental clearance where this project has been
cleared despite the fact that no public hearing was held at the site.
On 18th Nov 2006 when a team led by Mr. S.K.Jain of Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), tried to visit Haripiur to locate the site
for setting up a nuclear power plant in the area, people of Haripur resisted
and stopped them from entering into the area and clearly told the team that
they do not want any nuclear power plant. Since then people of Haripur have
been continuously resisting this project. Both Central govt. and State govt.
of West Bengal are also aware of the fact that people of the proposed site
are protesting and demanding the government not to set up the nuclear plant
in the area. Independent studies have been brought to the notice of the
governments that have clearly pointed at the negative impact of a nuclear
power plant on environment and livelihood of thousands of fishworkers and
agricultural workers of Haripur and nearby areas.
Our position is strengthened by the statement of the District Magistrate Ms.
C.D. Lama, who told the media on 13th January that “We have no inkling about
plans to procure land for the project”. This clearly shows how much the MoEF
and the state government have overlooked the local realities in granting
clearance to the project. Now the project has been given clearance without
even identifying land for it or conducting any Environment Impact Assessment
study (mandatory for Environmental clearance). It should be remembered here
that in 2009, Mr. Manmohan Singh had signed the agreement on the power plant
project against the will of people of the proposed site.
* *
According to Debasis Shyamal, convenor of Haripur Paramanu Vidyut Prakalpa
Prathirodh Andolan and National EC member of NFF: “the UPA Government, its
allies and the left front Government in West Bengal will pay a heavy price
for this fraud on the people of Haripur”. He said the movement will demand
the procedural documents involved in giving this faulty clearance to the
project. “We do not want another Nandigram or Singur in West Bengal and it
is our humble request to the Central and state governments to desist from
going ahead with the project” added Debasis.
* *
Haripur nuclear Power Plant Resistance movement was initiated by the
fishworkers and agricultural workers of Haripur with active support from NFF
and its constituent union in West Bengal – Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum
(DBF).
* *
Sd/-*
*Sd/-**
*Matanhy Saldanha
Rambhau Patil*
Acting Chairperson
General Secretary
* *
--
Peace Is Doable
--
Peace Is Doable
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group.
To post to this group, send an email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected].
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
