Hydel projects in the State will not be stopped says the Chief Minister

The State will go ahead with the hydel projects planned in the State, including Dzongu in North Sikkim. Until and unless Sikkim becomes a developed State, we will not compromise with the people who are becoming hurdle in the development by playing with the sentiments of the Sikkimese people.”

"I want this on record and maintain that we will go ahead with all the power projects in Dzongu. These projects will not be called off because we refuse to compromise with any initiative we know to be for the development of the people of this land and state. We will complete these projects and make Sikkim the top-revenue earning state in the country. A few anti-development people cannot deter our vision; we will not allow development to be held hostage by them," said the Chief Minister, Mr Pawan Chamling today.

Earlier, the lone opposition member Acharya Tshering Lama said, “the sacred land of Dzongu is now in Danger Zone and it has affected the sentiments of the Buddhist.” He had also commented that the Governor's claim (in his inaugural address yesterday) that there was no religious tension in Sikkim was not accurate. " I am not against development but look at the situation of Dzongu and the destruction of religious sites and lakes. Religious sentiments of the people have been hurt as religious significant spots have been destroyed or are in the process of being destroyed. These places are protected under the Places of Worship Act according to old laws".

The chief Minister maintained that what was being offered as religious tension and protest was not ground reality when it came to Dzongu. These aspects were instigated expressions, when in reality the affected people and a majority of the residents had accepted the hydel projects.

He found support on this count from the Lepcha legislators, including the Dzongu MLA, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha who insisted that the Governor's observation that there was no religious tension in Sikkim was accurate. The Lepchas, he said had welcomed the developmental prospects offered by hydel projects and were proud to be part of the process.

The Chief Minister also claimed that the significance of Dzongu as a special land of the Lepchas was a recognition that had entered public consciousness thanks to the special attention paid towards its development by the government. "Now everybody sees Dzongu as the holy land of the Lepchas. In the past no one cared for it, now everyone wants to visit it; this is thanks to the improved visibility that has come to Dzongu from our developmental efforts there and the attention we have paid to Lepcha issues,"he said.

Stating that the government is using natural resources as an instrument for the development of the State, the Chief Minister said that the government has acquired the land of Sikkimese people on lease for 35 years for other hydel project except NHPC.

“They will get back their land after 35 years as the ownership of the land possessed with the State and not with the project developer, the Chief Minister clarified.

The Chief Minister further said, “Politics does not mean blackmailing the people emotionally. Politics is actually Science and politics, which we are playing, is based upon Science.”

(Source: - Sikkim Express & Now! dated 7th March, 2008)