Chairing a high-level meeting of the Power Department here on Thursday evening, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed officials to initiate the process of taking over the 382 MW Sunni, 210 MW Luhri Stage-I and 66 MW Dhaulasidh hydroelectric projects, which were previously allotted to SJVNL.
The Chief Minister said hydropower was the backbone of Himachal Pradesh's economy and that the state government was committed to ensuring that the benefits from the state's rich hydropower resources accrue to its people. He said the present government was firmly committed to safeguarding the interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh at all platforms and forums. The government was taking appropriate steps to secure the state's rightful share of its natural resources and ensure their optimum utilisation for public welfare, he added.
Sukhu directed officials to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the 500 MW Duggar hydroelectric project being developed by NHPC, as the company has proposed increasing the height of the dam. He said the state government would ensure that Himachal Pradesh receives appropriate benefits commensurate with the revised project parameters.
The Chief Minister also said the state government had resolved the eight-year-long deadlock over the 422 MW Kishau Dam project. He said that under the revised arrangement, Himachal Pradesh would not be required to make any capital investment while securing 211 MW of free power from the project, which is expected to generate nearly Rs 600 crore in annual revenue for the state.
Principal Adviser to the Chief Minister Ram Subhag Singh, Principal Secretary (Finance) Devesh Kumar, Secretary (Power) Rakesh Kanwar, Director (Energy) Rakesh Prajapati, HPPCL Managing Director Abid Hussain and other senior officials attended the meeting.
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