Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today ruled out any mediation by the Centre in the contested Rs 4,200-crore arrears payment to Himachal Pradesh by partner states for projects under Bhakra Beas Management System.
The minister however advised partner states of Himachal, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to sit across the table for expediting the matter through "out of court settlement".
"The matter is in the court and the centre has no role in it and in case the concerned states want an early out of the court settlement, they should hold talks," he said while addressing a press conference through video conferencing.
After protracted legal battle, the Supreme court had directed the respondent states to give 7.19 per cent share of power in BBMB projects and also pay the arrears, which were worked out around Rs 4,200 crore by the state government but the other states contested the quantum of arrears to be paid to Himachal government and the matter is pending in the apex court.
Regarding strengthening of power supply network in high altitude areas bordering China, the minister said that 34 such villages had been identified, six villages had been provided power while plans have been finalised to cover remaining 28 villages.
When asked about the environment clearances given to hydropower projects without proper study of 'environment impact assessment' and virtually choking the rivers with multiple run-of -the river projects, Goyal passed the buck to Union Ministry of environment and Forests, saying that the matter did not pertained to his ministry.
Goyal said that there was no shortage of power or coal for any thermal power plant and the ministry is ready to meet the demands of the states.
"However, the states are not keen to buy power or coal but there is no shortage," he stressed.
Goyal said that the target of providing 24X7 power to all at affordable rates by 2022 has been advanced to 2019, adding that all the 18,452 left out villages would be provided electricity by May 2017 instead of May 2018.
Meanwhile the Additional chief secretary(Power) Tarun Sridhar today informed that chief minister Virbhadra Singh had already written to the Union Minister to convene a meeting of partner states in BBMB to expedite release of arrears payable to Himachal as per the Apex court judgement.
