Himachal Cabinet Extends Upfront Bid Money Deadline For 5 Hydro Projects

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: The Himachal cabinet today granted a one month extension for bid winners to 5 hydropower projects for paying up the up-front money and stated that the project allotments would otherwise be cancelled and passed onto the second highest bidder companies on matching terms.

Presided over by chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the cabinet granted one month extension to CESC Ltd bid winner for executing the 104 MW Lara Sumta Project; ABG Shipyard Ltd for 102 MW Rashil , 104 MW Tandi and 126 MW Bardang projects; and Surya Pharmaceuticals Ltd bid winner for the 60 MW Patam Project to deposit the up-front premium that they had bid in order to secure the hydropower projects.

Detailing about the cabinet decisions taken at the meet, Abhay Shukla, additional chief secretary said, “if the bid winning companies do not deposit the amount within the extension period, the allotment would be cancelled and the projects would be offered to the second highest bidder on matching terms.”

Other decisions taken were looking for the possibility to relax land laws for tea gardens, empowered the BBN authority for signing the agreement for executing the Mohali-Baddi expressway and approved policy guidelines for obtaining forest clearances under Forest Conservation Act 1980.

While approving policy guidelines under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 for making recommendations for obtaining forest clearances for different developmental projects decided not to give any forest land for religious purposes.

The policy differentiates between protected areas and all wastelands that are defined under forest lands for granting of usage permission for public use. However, it was decided that no forest land would be granted for any religious purpose, said Shukla.

About  tea gardens, which were left out of the HP Land Ceiling on Land Holding Act, 1972, the cabinet decided to explore the possibility of amending the binding act for permitting sale of garden lands for usage of other purposes.

The cabinet under article 229 of the Indian constitution delegated powers to the CEO Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority for signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Punjab for construction of access controlled express-way connecting Baddi industrial area with Mohali in Punjab.

Part-time workers who have completed 10 years with different government departments, boards or corporations would be converted into daily wagers as a matter of policy. About 3000 part-time workers stand to benefit, he said.

The cabinet decided to regularize services of 563 daily wagers in the irrigation and public health department.

the cabinet consented to elevate 872 Panchayat Sahayaks, who have satisfactorily completed eight years of service on 31 March, 2008 to the posts of Panchayat Secretaries on contract basis who shall be paid contractual salary of Rs 4,680/- per month.