Indian PM's Meeting on Northeast India Hydro Dams Called Off

New Delhi, Oct 19 : An Indian inter-ministerial meeting on hydropower projects in the northeastern states, including the Tipaimukh dam in Manipur, was called off yesterday because of non-availability of some senior ministers.

The meeting was to be chaired by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Alongside, home, environment, water resources, power and external affairs ministers were to attend the meeting.

Official sources said the meeting was cancelled since Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram and two other cabinet ministers were out of Delhi due to "pressing engagements".

No fresh date has been fixed for the meeting, said the sources.

The meeting was to discuss the proposed hydropower projects in northeastern states in the light of a debate raised by the region's civil society groups that such projects would be ecologically harmful for lower riparian states.

The civil society's concern was expressed through a letter written by Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to the Prime Minister.

However, Ramesh was opposed by Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and lawmakers from that state.