After 'criticism' in Kokrajhar, 3,000-MW power project to come up in Dhubri or Goalpara: Himanta

Guwahati: Two plots of land in Dhubri and Goalpara have been identified for setting up a 3,000-MW thermal power project, with foundation for it likely to be laid by November, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He said though the state government was mulling establishing the project in Kokrajhar to ensure greater benefits for the district, it is unlikely to push for it as a section of people has blamed the dispensation of "trying to take away tribal land".

"This 3,000-MW thermal power project will be coming up in our state. A sum of Rs 40,000 crore will be spent on it and the tender will be issued soon," Sarma said at a press conference here on Sunday.

He said the Assam government had mooted allocating the project to Kokrajhar so that it can reap benefits of a major investment, which is set to create one lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities.

"The Rs 26,000-crore semiconductor unit (of the Tata Group) is coming up in Jagiroad. We thought that a project of similar investment should come to Kokrajhar, too," Sarma said.

"But, we don't want to go ahead with it by taking the blame that we are after tribal land," the CM said, referring to criticism in some sections that the government was "plotting to hand over" tribal land to corporates.

He said two plots of land in Dhubri and Goalpara districts have been identified for the project.

Sarma claimed that the "4,000-bigha" plot considered for the project in Kokrajhar district is under the possession of "only 80 families".

"The land may not be given for the power project, but I think it is not correct for only a few people to have possession of so much land. Some institution like a hospital or a college can come up there," he added.