CM welcomes Centre’s view on 6 stalled power projects

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 19

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has welcomed the Centre’s endorsement of the view that six of the 24 stalled hydropower projects in Uttarakhand were not harming the environment.

However, experts say the state should wait for the final hearing in the Supreme Court to get a clear picture on the projects.

They say the state will gain a little from the six projects as most of these are centrally funded and the state government is getting only 12 per cent as royalty from these.

Nevertheless, it has opened a window of opportunity for the state to ensure that the Centre continues to hold similar views regarding the state-funded hydropower projects. “We are still awaiting approval from the Central government for resuming work on five hydropower projects of 741 MW. The Centre’s endorsement augurs well for us,” said Uma Kant Panwar, Secretary, Power.

Notably, the Union Government had recently filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that six of the 24 stalled hydropower projects of Uttarakhand are not harmful to the environment.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has said a national consensus must be evolved on hydropower projects in the country.