Shimla: Independent power producers (IPP) executing hydropower projects in Himachal have been asked by the government to share a percentage of their income towards development of local gram panchayats in the project vicinity.
Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the review meet of HIMURJA, the nodal agency for micro hydel projects, said, “projects with 100 MW generating capacity would have to provide 3 % of the income generated towards development of local gram panchayats in the first 12 years of the hydro plant life and thereafter it would be 12 percent.â€
The chief minister said that the government was committed to decentralise powers and generate income sources for meeting development needs of the people.
A number of IPPs have voluntarily agreed to provide free electricity to the local people, said Dhumal.
Spelling out the new norms, the chief minister said that , “no upfront premium would be charged from IPPs executing micro projects and a no objection would be required from the gram panchayat, irrigation and public health and Wild Life departments only. Rest of the clearances would be exempted.
Project techno-economic clearance would be provided by director of energy, within two months and preference would be given to local entrepreneurs in allotment, he said.
Of the identified hydel potential of 21,000MW in the state about 2,000MW was with small hydro. Projects with generation potential of 1250MW in small hydro (below 5MW) stood allotted and 89.05 MW of power was already being generated.
He said that 102 small hydro-electric projects having generation capacity of 363.45 MW would be added to the power grid during 11th Five Year Plan. In all 273 projects of 456.27MW had been allotted to Himachali entrepreneurs, in 18 months, the chief minister stated.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
