KATHMANDU, SEP 22 –
Claiming the proposed issu-ance of shares by Charnawati Khola Hydropower Project is “non-transparent”, and is taking place in spite of locals’ co-ncerns, the Local Stakeholder Committee has demanded a halt to the issuance of shares.
The locals have come to Kathmandu to protest the company and the government authorities, asking for a stop in money collection assuring the allotment of shares.
Shanta Bahadur Basnet, former mayor of the Bhimeshwor Municipality complained that the developer of the 3.5MW hydro project ignored legitimate local stakeholder committees and worked unilaterally, disregarding the benefits of the public.
“The project developer, the Nepal Hydro Developer Private Limited itself established a cooperative and through which it is collecting money from the locals and issuing public shares by ignoring the locals,” Basnet said at a press conference organise in the capital city.
The locals had established the Stakeholders Committee in 2011, under the leadership of Shree Krishna Basnet. Likewise, the locals had also formed the Bishnu Charan Charnawarti Cooperative. But, those protesting against the developer’s plans said that the project didn’t collaborate with any of the two bodies formed by the locals, instead creating its own cooperative and stakeholder committee.
Chairman of the Committee Basnet said they have time and again asked for a merger of the two stakeholder committees, which the developer has discarded.
Balram Thapa, another participant at the press conference, asked for unity among the locals to ensure free shares and social benefit programmes for locals.
Source : The Kathmandu Post
