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Jammu-Kashmir News: There has been a stir over the claims of 29 employees in Kishtwar’s Ratle Hydro Electric Project having terrorist or criminal links. Police has warned MEIL. Area MLA Shagun Parihar has also raised questions. This whole matter is indicating a serious security flaw.
Jammu-Kashmir News: A very sensitive information has come to light regarding the hydro electric project under construction in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. Police have warned that 29 people working in this 850 MW Ratle Hydro Electric Project may have terrorist links or criminal background. Due to this, controversy has arisen. BJP’s Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar had raised questions on the laborers recruited in this project. He has called this warning from the police as proof of his complaints. On November 1, Jammu and Kashmir Police had written a letter to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), warning that there are 29 people who have been found involved in unruly or anti-national activities in this important project being built in Drabshala area of Kishtwar.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the police said that their recruitment could jeopardize the security of the project. Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh wrote in a letter addressed to the General Manager of MEIL that during the routine police verification of local residents, reports came from the concerned police stations, in which the names of these 29 people are included. A list of their names was attached to the letter. Emphasizing the strategic and national importance of hydropower projects, the SSP said that these are high-risk targets for the enemy country. Therefore, there is a need to reconsider the recruitment of such employees, because they can do anything and can pose a threat to the project.
Police asked these employees to keep vigil
The police asked the company to keep a watch on these employees and inform immediately if any suspicious activity is seen. All these 29 people are working on junior posts. Five are said to have terrorist links. These include three relatives of an old terrorist of the area, the son of a suspected overground worker and the son of a surrendered terrorist. One person is accused of contaminating water sources and document forgery, while the remaining 23 have criminal background – such as criminal trespass, nuisance with intent to cause damage to public or private property etc.
The company said this
The controversy came out into the open when MEIL Chief Operating Officer (COO) Harpal Singh publicly accused MLA Shagun Parihar of delaying the project. Harpal Singh claimed that Parihar has been pressurizing the company to recruit her people after winning the elections last year. Tension increased after 200 workers were laid off in September. He said the company has recruited 1,434 locals, of whom 960 are from Kishtwar and 220 from Doda district, but about 50 percent either do not know the work or do not want to do it.
However, after the police letter came to light, Harpal Singh admitted that he had received this warning and replied only last week that he would keep vigil and give information on suspicious activity. On the question of removing these 29, he said under which law should action be taken? If someone’s father or relative is an active or surrendered terrorist, then what is the crime of that person? Similarly, how to take action until the allegations are not proven in the court? These people can go to court if fired, which will cause new problems to the company.
