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Suspension of hydel projects: U’khand govt to move court
Cites acute shortage, demands 1,000 MW free power in return
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 2
The issue of hydel power projects in Uttarakhand is snowballing into a major controversy with the BJP Government in the state planning to move court and challenge the Centre’s decision to suspend Pala Maneri (480 MW) and Bhaironghati (381 MW) projects on environmental grounds.

A belligerent state government has also demanded supply of 1,000 MW of free power from the Centre for shelving the projects.

The decision to suspend the projects was taken on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers constituted by the Prime Minister. Environmental concerns raised by activists in the state have been corroborated by a special audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as well. The report, yet to be tabled in the state Assembly, has received the required assent from the Governor.

The CAG report, it is learnt, has severely criticised the state government’s decision to sanction 56 hydel projects, five of which have become operational. There are 200 more projects awaiting sanction and the report points out that not only will rivers face the threat of drying up, but diversion of 90 per cent water to these projects will also force people living on river-banks to migrate.

The state government, on the other hand, holds that Uttarakhand has a severe shortage of power and there is no reason it should not exploit its hydel potential of generating a whopping 15,000 MW of electricity. Suspension of power projects, it contends, would force industries out of the state and lead to migration from rural areas.

The state’s policy to promote mini and micro hydel projects had also been opposed by the Congress, alleging that individuals and companies with no experience of power generation had bagged the projects. Distillers, bottlers, cycle manufacturers and knitwear companies from Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Kanpur and even individuals close to the ruling party were awarded the projects, alleged Harak Singh Rawat, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, however, claimed that procedures were transparent and of the 741 bids received for the projects, 624 were found eligible.