Shimla, Nov 7 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday asked the state-run hydropower major SJVN Ltd, a joint venture between the Central government and the state government, that “if it is unwilling to comply with the state’s energy policy, the state is ready to take over three projects”.
At a meeting with Union Power Minister Manohar Lal here, the Chief Minister discussed several issues, including royalty to the state by the power companies that mandates 12 per cent for the first 12 years, 18 per cent for the subsequent 18 years and 30 per cent for the next 10 years in the power projects.
An official statement quoting Sukhu said private companies already comply with this policy and emphasised that central PSUs should also follow it as well.
The Chief Minister said the state government is ready to take over SJVN’s 210 MW Luhri Phase I, the 382 MW Sunni Project and the 66 MW Dhaulasidh hydropower projects.
He assured the government is willing to reimburse SJVN for the expenses incurred so far on these projects. He also pointed out that SJVN commenced construction on these projects without signing an implementation agreement.
He said the people of Himachal Pradesh should receive their rightful share of water resources. In response, the Union Minister directed SJVN officials to provide a final response by January 15, 2025.
The Chief Minister also sought the Union government’s assistance in securing the return of the 110 MW Shanan Project in Mandi district to the state from Punjab. He said Punjab’s lease period for the project has ended and urged the Union government to intervene to ensure the project’s transfer to Himachal Pradesh, along with all its assets.
Sukhu said the area of the Shanan Project was never part of the erstwhile Punjab. Therefore, the Punjab Re-organisation Act of 1966 does not apply.
In response, the Union Minister assured him that he would review the Act and take appropriate action accordingly.
The Chief Minister also urged the Union government to direct the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) to release 13,066 million units of outstanding power arrears owed to Himachal Pradesh from November 1996 to October 2011.
He said despite a Supreme Court ruling in favour of the state, Himachal Pradesh has yet to receive its rightful share from the state stakeholders.
The Union Minister assured that he would convene a joint meeting of the stakeholders to work toward a consensus on this issue.
During the discussions, the Union minister directed officials to expedite the implementation of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in Himachal Pradesh, emphasising that it is crucial for the state to ensure smart metering and reduce power losses.
–IANS
vg/dan
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
