A view of Teesta river in SikkimGangtok:The ACT indefinite hunger strike in protest against hydel projects in north Sikkim completed 13 days.Twelve new faces joined the hunger strike day before yesterday while two hunger strikers were moved into Emergency Ward at STNM Hospital on the recommendations of doctors who undertakes medical checks twice a day everyday.
Tenzin Lepcha who has been on the hunger strike since the beginning and Chimi Lepcha are under medical observations at STNM Hospital.
Another protester Dawa Lepcha who continued hunger strike at STNM Hospital where he was puton the drips was released and He joined the protest platform at BL House on July1. The total number of people on hunger strike stands at 13.
The state government had second rounds of talks with representatives of protesters on June29Th and has been consistently appealing the the hunger strike be called off and ACT during the talks on Friday agreed to review the matter in light of sincere efforts by state government to have a result oriented dialogue to sort out all issues put forward by ACT.
In a letter to the Chief Secretary to Government of Sikkim ACT chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha has thanked the government for its ' very effective and sincere efforts to solve the problems as placed" by ACT and meanwhile, a meeting was called at BL House on July 1 and was attended by ACT,CL OS and SoD members and office bearers,lay people from Dzongu,former Dzongu MLA Sonam Choda Lepcha and many other well wishers. Mr.Tseten Lepcha informed that meeting concluded with view that the affected people were still hopeful of a positive outcome from the assurance given by the Chief Minister on December 12,2006 to consider scrapping of all planned Dzongu hydro projects and review all aspects of hydro projects and also recorded appreciation of ACT for government endeavour to defuse the crisis and find an amicable solution to the issue through dialogue.