Damauli, February 22

Residents of Tanahun Hydropower Project affected area staged a demonstration in Damauli today, protesting the discrimination in compensation to be distributed.

Hundreds of victims turned out for the demonstration that started from Madi Bridge and ended at the district administration office, where it concluded in a corner meeting.

Speaking at the corner meeting, the project affected area concerned committee Chairperson Gobardhan Thapa, among others, expressed dissatisfaction with discrimination in the compensation amount proposed for them. The protesters also said that the government had provided one to three lakh rupees in compensation per anna of land to project victims of Jhaputar about four years ago.

Project authorities recently decided to provide from two to eight lakh rupees in compensation per ropani land to victims in the remaining affected areas.

Regarding the unfair compensation proposed, residents of Kahusibapur, Kot Durbar, Rising, Ranipokhari, Jamune, Chhang, Sabhung and Majhkot VDCs had earlier submitted an ultimatum to the concerned authorities through the chief district officer, but to no avail. “As our concerns were not heard, we had to agitate,” said Narayan Ghimire, a victim.

“We can’t settle on less than 5 lakh rupees per anna for our land,” added Ghimire, while Gaumaya Thapa of Kot Durbar vowed to intensify the protest until their demand was met.

Earlier, project authorities had decided to distribute 650 million rupees in compensation to landowners of 1,250 ropani land, that amounts to Rs 2 to 8 lakh per ropani land. The 140MW capacity power plant will be based in Patan, Byas Municipality.