Medha Patkar against setting up thermal plants in Punjab

PATIALA: Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) leader and renowned social activist Medha Patkar termed setting up thermal plants in Punjab by SAD-BJP Government as illogical.



Talking to Pioneer here on Sunday she said that it was not welcome step to setup up thermal plants by acquiring fertile land of farmers of Punjab. She advised that thermal plants should be setup near coal mines and supply should be rooted through National grid and country should get cheap power.

She said that Punjab should take permission to setup its own thermal project or pool it with centre or state in Jharkhand rather than acquiring productive land of Punjab. She said that Punjab has already three thermal plants and setting up four plants will disturb environment of Punjab. She however criticised the way of getting environmental clearances from the ministry of environment of centre government.

She said that farmers of Punjab have filled the food basket of India but his stomach was empty and reports of suicides were disturbing that farmer of Punjab has not been getting his reward.

She however called upon farmer community Punjab that her services have been available for them for any of their cause.

She criticised creation of Special Economic Zones or setting up of industries on agricultural land in any part of the country. She termed SEZ as 'Special exploitation Zone'. 

She also criticised the linking of rivers across India and said that everybody should come forward to stop the implementing the plan to inter-link its river basins. She said that by linking river basins country will be pushed towards another 'Kosi' like havoc.

Asked to comment on Mumbai's incidents she said that terrorism was new epidemic of country and people of country should come forward to eradicate it.

She said that BlueStar operation and Gujrat's Godra incidents was due to terrorism.

Medha Patkar refused to contest elections at any stage and said that there was no need to contest election to enter politics. "We are very much in politics to promote fight against multinationals and social and economic deprivation of downtrodden" she asserted.

She said that NBA will continue as the NBA Movement began as a fight for information about the Narmada Valley Development Projects and continued as a fight for just rehabilitation for the lakhs of people ousted by the Sardar Sarovar Dam and other large dams along the Narmada River.

She was here to attend the marriage of Simpreet Singh; Mumbai based another social activist and NAPM leader.