Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed officers to initiate the process for taking over the 382 MW Sunni, 210 MW Luhri Stage-I and 66 MW Dhaulasidh hydroelectric projects, which were earlier allotted to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL).
Chairing a high-level meeting of the Power Department on Thursday, the Chief Minister also directed officials to renegotiate the terms and conditions of the 500 MW Duggar hydroelectric project being developed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), as the company has proposed increasing the height of the dam. He said the state government would ensure Himachal Pradesh receives appropriate benefits commensurate with the revised project parameters.
He further said the state government had resolved the eight-year-long deadlock over the 422 MW Kishau dam project. 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.
Sukhu reiterated that hydropower is the backbone of Himachal Pradesh’s economy and that the government is committed to ensuring the state’s people receive the full benefits of its hydropower resources. “The state government is committed to safeguarding the interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Appropriate steps are being taken to secure the state’s rightful share from its natural resources and ensure their optimum utilisation for public welfare,” he added.
Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister Ram Subhag Singh, Principal Secretary (Finance) Devesh Kumar, Secretary (Power) Rakesh Kanwar, Director (Energy) Rakesh Prajapati, Managing Director HPPCL Abid Hussain and other senior officers attended the meeting.
