Excelsior Correspondent
RAMBAN, June 4: Led by Sawalkote Joint Action Committee (SJAC), hundreds of Ramban locals took out a protest rally here today demanding transparency regarding the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project.
Sloganeering in favour of their demands, the protesters also carried placards with ‘Our Land, Our Rights, Our Future’, ‘Ramban Ki Majboori Hai, Sawalkote Zaroori Hai’ etc written on them.
“We want compensation as per Fair Compensation Act,” a protester said adding that their other demands include first preference to Ramban youth in employment.
Fairoz Khan, SJAC president addressed the protesters and said that development cannot come at the cost of their dignity and livelihoods.
He claimed that they are coming across reports of connectivity changes as far as the Sawalkote project is concerned and the reports say that the project could bypass Ramban.
Khan emphasized that local youth should be the first beneficiary of employment boom the project is expected to generate.
SJAC submitted a memorandum of demands to the concerned officers insisting that compensation be paid strictly in accordance with Fair Compensation Act.
They also highlighted the issue of repeated extensions in the tendering process and noted that the tender process has reportedly been extended multiple times since February, with the latest deadline being extended from June 4 to June 16.
Prominent among those who were present in the protest were Ali Shan, Sanjay Kumar, Rahi Manzoor, Mudasir Azmat, Sheetal Singh Bali, Abdul Rahim Bali, Tauseef Mir, Iftiyaz Shoil, Vakil Singh, Gulraz Ahmed, Masood Khan, Ravinder Singh, Mohd Yousuf, Zakir Ahmed and many others.
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