Wokha [Nagaland], November 14 (HornbillTV): The Land Owners’ Union of Doyang Hydro Electric Plant (DHEP) has appealed to the Government of Nagaland to mediate with the appropriate authorities of the Union government against disinvestment or selling DHEP to any private entity, as per the tripartite agreement signed among the Nagaland government, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited and Land Owners Union, Doyang Hydro Electric Plant. 

According to the union statement, the government of Nagaland and the land owners had a number of negotiations to arrive at setting up the Doyang Hydro Electric Plant and handing it over to NEEPCO Limited by the 17 land affected villages through an agreement of land acquisition that was signed on February 28, 1984 with an area of 8,420.41 acres of land. The affected villages had also agreed to part with any cultivable land solely for the development of the power project and not to any corporation or private agencies, it stated.   

Similarly, NEEPCO, government and affected land owners of the area entered into an agreement to set up the plant over River Doyang, with the capacity of 75MW with the objective to augmenting the power needs of the state for a period of 99 years ‘lease.’ Accordingly, the plant was commissioned in the year 2000 and dedicated to the nation on March 2, 2002.   

The landowners alleged that after harnessing the power by NEEPCO Limited for 44 years, meeting the needs of the power-starved state of Nagaland, the government of India disinvested 100% share of NEEPCO to the National Thermal Power Co-operation Limited for an amount of INR 4000 Crore on March 2020 without the knowledge and consent of the government of Nagaland and the stakeholders of Doyang Hydro Electric Plant. The union stated that the unilateral decision of the Union government clearly violated the agreement signed between the three parties.   

As per the update, NTPC Limited had set a target with the ministry of Power, government of India, to generate 15000 crore by the disinvestment plan, which includes disinvestment and privatization of NEEPCO limited by March 2024 including the Doyang Hydro Electric Plant. The union warned that that such a drastic and adverse policy of disinvestment and privatization of NEEPCO Limited by the NTPC will directly impinge on the rights, privileges, employment opportunities and other benefits that are offered to the affected populace in lieu of the thousands of acres of land handed over by the affected land owners for the construction of the power project. 

The union further stated that the land and its resources are inalienable rights of the local people as invested upon the people of Nagaland by the unassailable constitutional provision envisaged under Article 371 A of the Indian Constitution. The union therefore objected stating that the disinvestment policy by the NTPC shall impinge on the rights as guaranteed by Article 371 A, the statement stated.