Himachal lines up Rs 422 cr to evacuate power from Ravi basin

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Barog, Jul 14 : Himachal Pradesh government has prepared power evacuation plan from Ravi basin and has estimated the cost at Rs 422 crore for executing the plan for transmission and distribution. This scheme has been passed by the state electricity board. The department will chalk out a strategy for the implementation of the project and can also go for public- private partnership (PPP) mode for generating the funds. The project is expected to see completion in two and half years.

Prem Kumar Dhumal, chief minister, HP said that state government would consider hydel projects upto 25 mw under the small hydro electric project category, where norms applicable for projects upto 5 mw would be observed besides other related aspects. He said that free distribution of CFL bulbs would be started from Independence Day. He was addressing the conference on 'Himachal Pradesh: The clean energy hub' organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Barog in district Solan on Monday.

Chief minister said that the state government had decided to allot hydel projects upto 2 mw exclusively to Himachal entrepreneurs, while local entrepreneurs were being given preference for allotment of such projects upto 5 mw, which would be allotted with transparency and through competitive bidding. He said that projects upto 100 mw were being allotted through competitive bidding route while projects above 100 mw were being advertised globally to attract best returns for the state.

Chief minister said that the oustees problems of Bhakra Dam, Pong Dam was still unsolved while the state had not been getting any power from Pong Dam project which rendered thousands of families homeless. He said that state needed to be given 12% free power from all BBMB projects and state share in Punjab Reorganisation Act.

Chief minister said that the state government would ensure cleanliness besides speedy execution of the hydroelectric projects. He said that the state government was concerned about the protection of ecology of the state and would not permit environmentally hazardous activities since the environment was dear to the state government.