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| U'khand CM denies favouritism in hydel project allotment |
| Shishir Prashant / New Delhi/ Dehra Dun Feb 18, 2010, 00:31 IST |
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Uttarakhand Chief Minister R P Nishank has saidthat 56 hydel projects, with a total capacity of 950 Mw have been allotted so far under the self-identified route in the state but denied allegations of any favouritism in the entire process.
All of these hydropower projects have been grouped in three broad categories – micro, mini and small. Projects with capacityupto 100 Kw will be categorised as micro, mini will comprise between 100 Kw and up to 5 Mw and small projects will consist of above 5 Mw and up to 25 Mw.
“I am ready for any probe, be it by CBI or anybody else in the allotment of hydel projects,” Nishank told reporters shortly after Congress leaders led by the leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat staged a dharna here, alleging that the government allotted a series of hydel projects to some distilleries of Chandigarh and other states compromising the interests of Uttarakhand.
This month, the Uttarakhand government had quietly begun the process of allotment of micro, mini and small hydel projects, the bids for which were invited in 2008 under the self-identification route. But soon, the government came under fire from the opposition over the alleged irregularities in the allotment process. “All the allotments were done by an empowered committee set up under the Chief Secretary,” Nishank said.
The government had received nearly 736 bids from private developers but was going slow owing to concerted campaign by a section of environmentalists and VHP leaders, who are opposing hydel projects.
Out of the 736, only 621 bids were found to be valid and the rest were rejected, Nishank said adding a total of 12 local persons had also been allotted micro-hydel projects. In the next phase, other projects would be allotted.
After suspending two big hydel projects – 480 Mw Pala Maneri and 380 Mw Bhaironghati on environmental and religious grounds, the government was keen to focus on its new power policy on micro, mini and small hydel projects in the hill state with a hope to generate more power.
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