Cong opposes setting up of biogas plant in Assam's Karbi Anglong

Guwahati, Jul 1 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday protested against setting up of a biogas plant in Karbi Anglong district of Assam, claiming that it will displace around 50,000 people.

Holding a press conference here, the opposition party also demanded the agreement signed for this purpose be scrapped for protecting the tribal land in the central Assam district.

"The government has signed an MoU to give 4,000 acres of land to Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries) for the biogas plant. All social organisations from the district are unhappy about the government's decision to hand over such a vast land to a corporate," Karbi Anglong District Congress Committee President Bidya Singh Rongpi claimed.

He said an agreement was signed by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) with the business conglomerate for handing over the land parcel in the district.

"If such a huge amount of land is given, around 50,000 people will be displaced. People from all communities will be affected. The forests will also be destroyed. That is why we are demanding that the agreement be scrapped immediately," Rongpi said.

No immediate comments could be obtained from Reliance Industries over the matter.

Rongpi also claimed that the Assam government has decided to hand over around 6,000 acres of land to the Adani Group for setting up a solar plant in the district, and it will “displace around 20,000 families”.

"We had protested against that project, too. We do not want the land of Karbi people to be given to business entities. This land belongs to the indigenous people of Assam, and falls under the Sixth Schedule area. How can tribal land be given to corporate groups?" he said.

Rongpi asserted the ruling BJP had earlier said no tribal land would be given to non-tribals.

"Then, why is the government taking a contradictory step? We will vehemently oppose such decisions," the Congress leader said.

During the Rising NorthEast Investors Summit in May this year in New Delhi, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani had said the group will invest Rs 75,000 crore in the region in setting up 350 biogas plants, expanding its telecom services, retail footprint and clean energy projects.

He had said that the group will set up 350 integrated compressed biogas plants, which will turn organic waste into gas that can be used as CNG for transportation as well as fuel in industries and cooking in kitchens.

Earlier, at the 'Advantage Assam' business summit in Guwahati, Ambani had said that one of the priorities of the company was to make Assam a hub of clean and green energy.

"Reliance will build two world-class hubs of compressed biogas (CBG) over wastelands in Assam. This will produce 8 lakh tonnes of clean biogas annually, enough to fuel 2 lakh passenger cars every day," he had said. PTI TR RBT