Uttarakhand to invite fresh bids for small hydel projects

The Uttarakhand government on Thursday decided to invite fresh bids for small hydel projects with total capacity to generate 1,000-1,500 Mw of power in its attempt to bridge the widening demand-supply gap in the hill state.

The government has also asked the IIT Roorke to make an environmental-impact assessment report on all such small hydel projects, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said.

“The IIT report will come by September following which we will allot all the small hydel projects through an open bidding process,” said Bahuguna after a review meeting of the power department here.

When asked whether the government will follow the self-identified route, Bahuguna said DPRs of these projects will be prepared before the bidding process begins. However, he did not give the number of such hydel projects.

Significantly, the former BJP government had cancelled the bidding process of 56 small hydel projects amid allegations of corruption with some liquor companies getting contracts for building hydel projects.

Under the 2008 power policy, the previous BJP government had received 741 bids for setting up hydel projects upto 25 Mw through self-identified route.

In the beginning of 2009, the government headed by then chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank quietly allotted 56 hydel projects. But few months later, the government abruptly cancelled the entire allotment process after facing corruption allegations.

Later, the high court also upheld the government’s decision to cancel the allotment of 45 hydel projects.