90 Families drived out from BTPS quarters

: Kokrajhar, December 08, 2010

The Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) with the help of district administration, Kokrajhar, Assam Electricity Security Force (AESF) and CRPF today drived out more than 90 families who have been occupying the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS) quarters since long. Most of the quarters were occupied by the Master Role workers, Labourers and widows whose husbands were employee in the BTPS earlier. The ASEB launched the driving out operation against the illegal occupants as they have to hand over the quarters to the NTPC as per agreement signed in 2006.

According to the sources from the ASEB, the department had served notices to the occupants to vacat the quarters much before but they did not obey the instructions for which they compelled to carry out the operation. The ASEB has to hand over all the existing quarters of the BTPS to NTPC as per the agreement and the quarters are needed to be repaired, the sources said adding that most of the occupants were illegal.

On the other hand, the families who have been driven out from the quarters alleged that the ASEB served the notice only on December 3 last. They said they had been working in the BTPS over the years and have been staying as there were none to live in the quarter since the BTPS came to shut down in 1998. They wanted relaxation till the ongoing annual examination of their children is over on December 15. Land Acquisition Officer, Bijilee Bhavan, ASEB, Ms. Kajuli Rajkhowa, Senior Manager, ASEB Mr. Prasanta Sharma, Senior Executive Engineer, ASEB  Tiken Basumatary and Magistrate- Bipul Saikia and other police officials were present in the door to door driving operation.