Shimla: Having contributed Rs 5 crores on Monday towards PM Cares fund, SJVN, a power generation PSU, plans to top it up with another Rs 20 crore contribution to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use the funds for fighting COVID-19 in the country.
Mr Nand Lal Sharma, chairman-cum-managing director of SJVN said, “we will be making a contribution of another Rs 20 crore towards the PM Cares fund to strengthen the Prime Ministers resolve to contain the pandemic in the country.”
“We have also contributed about Rs 3 crore to hospitals in Bihar and Himachal Pradesh for purchase of critical care equipment like ventilators and protective gear for health professionals,” said Sharma.
Employees of the central public sector undertaking have contributed another Rs 32 lakhs from their salaries towards PM Cares fund, he informed.
SJVN records highest ever generation
Having recorded a cumulative generation of 9678 Million Units in 2019-20, the PSU surpassed it previous best of 9346 Million Units registered in 2015-16. The company had a target of generating 9100 MU for 2019-20, which it surpassed comfortably.
Sharma disclosed that SJVNs current installed capacity was 2015.2 MW, which includes 1912 MW of Hydro Power, 97.6 MW of Wind Power and 5.6 MW of Solar Power.
Declares Rs 668 Cr Interim Dividend
Backed by the record generation, the company only recently declared Rs 668 crore as interim dividend.
Sharma disclosed that Rs.400.32 crore interim dividend had been paid to Government of India, Rs 179.35 crore to Himachal Pradesh government and Rs. 88.40 crores to public shareholders. Till date SJVN has paid a cumulative dividend of Rs 7356.56 crores.
SJVN Achieves Financial Closure For 900 MW Nepal Hydro Project
The CMD informed that SJVN on 6th February achieved financial closure for the 900 MW Arun 3 Hydro Electric Project being executed in Nepal.
One of the first projects of the home grown PSU in executing a power project in another country, the Arun 3 project is estimated to cost about Rs 6959 crores and is expected to be commissioned in five years time.
He said that SJVN has diversified into Thermal Power Generation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2019 had laid the foundation stone of the 1320 MW Buxar Thermal power Plant in Bihar.
“Construction activities of this project are on full swing and SJVN plans to commission it in year 2023-24,” said Sharma adding, “construction activities of 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand was also in full swing.”
About other projects in the pipeline Sharma said that only recently SJVN has entered into MoUs with Government of Himachal Pradesh for implementation of eight (8) new hydro projects. “The total capacity of these projects is 2388 MW which involves an investment of Rs 24,000 crores,” he said.
SJVN started out as a single hydro project company in 1988 and today has a portfolio of 7489.2 MW, out of which 2015.2 MW is under operation, 2880 MW is under construction, 482 MW is under pre-construction & investment approval and 2112 MW is under survey & investigation stage. The company has also diversified in other fields of energy generation & transmission.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
