Ilma locals demand halt of Jagdulla Hydro Project for agreement breach

By Our Correspondent,Dolpa, Apr. 16: Locals of Ilma village of Mudkechula Rural Municipality in Dolpa district have demanded to stop the work of the under-construction Jagdulla Hydropower Project after the company breached the agreement with them.

Jagdulla Hydropower Company Limited is constructing the project at Ward No. 4 of Mudkechula.

The locals had gathered under the leadership of ward chairman Kriti Bahadur Budha and decided to stop the work of the project citing that there had been appointment of employees from outside the village and corruption in money allocated for compensation under the direction of project chief Sanjay Sapkota.

According to locals, the steps were against the agreement signed between former rural municipality chairman Dutta Bahadur Shahi, then ward chairman Jag Bahadur Budha, then chief administrative officer Madan Devkota and the company’s project chief Sanjay Sapkota.

The agreement stated that the company had to prioritize the locals of the affected areas when the company had to provide jobs or services.

A public notice issued by the locals accused the company of providing jobs to people outside the locality under political influence.

“We had requested the company officials verbally multiple times in the past to abide by the agreement. However, they continued turning deaf ears and led us to take drastic steps,” said ward chairman Kriti Bahadur Budha.

In response to the accusations, the company’s project chief Sapkota said that he would return to the project site in some days to discuss and solve the problem with locals at the earliest.

“I am currently busy in Kathmandu to manage money for the project under the PPA. I will return soon and meet the locals. We will try to solve the problems; we will not try to break our agreement,” said Sapkota.