CTPS PAPs refuse to negotiate demands, reject to attend meet

An emergency meeting convened by Energy Department to resolve issue of PAPs of Chandrapur Thermal Power Station (CTPS) remained inconclusive as latter refused to negotiate on their demands. Though entire Government machinery was mobilised to find a way out as PAPs have climbed on the chimneys at CTPS, the adamant stance by agitators poured cold water on possibility of mediation, said Dr Nitin Raut, Energy Minister, who further said in times of pandemic such stance by PAPs is completely wrong. The Minister said, Maharashtra Government is positive about resolving the difficulties of project affected persons (PAPs) but they should not hold administration to ransom in times of pandemic and asked them to come down from chimneys.

 

A meeting about problems of PAPs of CTPS was held at Bijli Nagar rest house of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) in city. However, despite waiting till evening, PAPs remained adamant and refused to turn-up for negotiations about their demands.

 

Vijay Waddettiwar, Guardian Minister, Chandrapur District, Suresh Dhanorkar, Member of Parliament (MP), MLAs Pratibha Dhanorkar and Kishor Jorgewar and senior officials of MahGenco attended the meeting to deliberate on the demands of PAPs.

 

The urgency of the meeting was not lost on anyone as PAPs have climbed atop chimney at CTPS and pressuring the administration into accepting their long standing demands and refused to climb down and insisting on immediate settlement. Though entire machinery was ready to thrash out the solution, PAPs did not came for negotiation thereby defeating the purpose.

 

Waddettiwar too reached out to PAPs and cajole them to join the talks but latter remained adamant and refused to budge from their stance. The Guardian Minister said PAPs should not hold out like this and come to negotiation table if they are desirous of settling the issues and co-operate with State Government. Even the MP and both MLAs from Chandrapur too talked with PAPs but could not convince them to turn-up for talks.

Minister of State for Energy Prasad Tanpure, Assem Gupta, Principal Secretary, Energy, Shaila A, President and MD, MahaGenco, Raju Ghuge, Chief Engineer, CTPS, joined through video conferencing.