---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Independent Fact Finding Team (IFFT)* <[email protected]> Date: 28 June 2012 18:06 Subject: Invitation for a Report Release and Panel Discussion on Fact-Finding Report on the Tata Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (TMUMPP).
Dear All, An independent fact-finding team was formed to look into the social, environmental and economic impacts of Tata Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project (TMUMPP) in Kutch, Gujarat. The team, after a strenuous three month long process of investigation, meeting with the affected communities and the company, has readied their report – ‘*The Real Cost of Power*’. *You are invited for its report release and a panel discussion following the release**.* The release and panel discussion is at the *Constitution Club of India, Deputy Speaker Hall*, Rafi Marg, Bbehind Reserve Bank of India, New Delhi, 110001 on the *3rd of July 2012* from *4 p.m. to 7 p.m*. We have invited the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Tata company (Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd.), to respond to the findings of the report. The 4000 MW Tata Mundra (Coastal Gujarat Power Limited) Project is the first Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) to get approval from the Govt of India in 2006-07 while promoting UMPPs as a solution to the growing energy demands of the country. However, having the project come up in the ecologically fragile areas of Kutch, within the vicinity of the mega Mundra SEZ and this being one among the many projects in Kutch, in a stretch of 70 kms, targeted to produce 22,000 MW power, apart from the numerous other industries in the area; the project has been marred with serious social and environmental impacts. The private sector arm of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Asian Development Bank are among the lead lenders to this $4 billion project. The fishing communities affected by project have complained to the recourse mechanism of IFC, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) in June 2011. The investigations on the complaint are underway. In order to warrant an independent and objective probe into the alleged environmental, social, economic and long term livelihood security impacts by the project, an Independent Fact Finding Team on the Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts of Tata Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project was formed in April 2012 in response to a request made by the communities affected by TMUMPP. The team was headed by *Justice (Retired) S.N. Bhargava*, former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, and a former Chairperson of Human Rights Commissions of Assam and Manipur; *Dr. Varadarajan Sampath,* former Advisor to the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India; *Praful Bidwai *, senior journalist and columnist; *Jarjum Ete*, former Chairperson, Commission for Women in Arunachal Pradesh; and *Soumya Dutta*, energy specialist and National Convenor of Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha. We hope you will be able to make it for this function. Kindly drop a line of confirmation. Yours sincerely, Independent Fact Finding Team Justice (Retired) S.N. Bhargava Dr. Varadarajan Sampath Praful Bidwai Jarjum Ete Soumya Dutta**** ** ** ** ** ~~ Joe Athialy South Asia Coordinator | Bank Information Center**** Post Box No 4659, New Delhi - 110016 **** +91.9871153775 | jathialy [@] bicusa.org | www.bicusa.org Skype: joeathialy | Twitter: joeathialy**** ** ** -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send 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/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
