Kathmandu, August 9:

Maoist-affiliated Autonomous Council of Karnali (ACK) today warned all concerned not to

visit the Karnali Region with the aim of commissioning major hydropower projects.

“The people, who visit the far-western region to garner support for major hydropower projects, may face people’s action,” ACK chairman Gorakh Bhahadur BC told this daily.

“If these people disobeyed our warning, they might be murdered, attacked or drowned,” BC said.

He said his council, as well as the CPN-Maoist, was committed to suspending all unauthorised decisions of the government concerning West Seti and Upper Karnali.

“We are warning both the government and developers to stop their activities and wait till the country is restructured and states’ rights over natural resources are established,” he

said, warning to take action against all those, who were trying to misinform people in collaboration with “water mafia”.

He urged representatives of companies concerned to stop visiting the project sites before

it is too late.

He said people of the region were not ready to hand over their sources of income to foreign companies, regardless of agreements between the government and the companies concerned.

Issuing a statement, ACK urged people of Karnali to fight for the nullification of all agreements regarding hydropower projects.

“The council is ready to spill blood to save our natural resources,” the statement added.